June 1 (Reuters) - Curacao will be the smallest country to compete at the World Cup but all their squad hail from the Netherlands, whose national team have a proud history at the tournament, meaning they must not be underestimated.
Of the 26 players selected for the Caribbean island's debut finals appearance, only one was born on the island, but Tahith Chong left at the age of 10 for the Netherlands, where the other 25 were born.
Curacao is a self-governing part of the Netherlands, with a population of just over 150,000 and a land area of 171 square miles (442.89 square kilometres). All their players are Dutch nationals and it was in northern Europe rather than the Caribbean that their historic qualification was forged.
Much of the credit lies with veteran coach Dick Advocaat, who initially turned down the job because the football association on the island was grappling with an administrative crisis and under the scrutiny of the world football governing body FIFA.
He eventually took up the post in January 2024 and began recruiting Dutch players with roots on the island, vastly strengthening their prospects.
Advocaat, who quit the job in February because of his daughter's illness and handed the reins to Fred Rutten only to be reappointed in May, had to adjust his own approach, polished through three spells as Netherlands coach plus taking South Korea to the 2006 World Cup.
Although initially irked by the players dancing and singing before games, he realised that he should not take the Caribbean soul out of the squad, telling reporters he thought this was the best way for his players to achieve top performance.
"We started building, but by first going back to the basics," explained Advocaat.
"We never had anything to complain about regarding the passion and commitment of those guys. But we had to provide a foundation, to establish organisation. It was pleasing to see that this was quickly picked up and yielded results."
A dramatic goalless draw away in Jamaica last November secured top place in their group and qualification, with a team that will pose problems for Group E opponents Ecuador, Germany, and the Ivory Coast.
But Advocaat is also realistic about their prospects. "We have proven that we are difficult to beat," he said.
"But the opponents in this group are of a different quality, of course. We know it will be very difficult, but nothing is impossible."
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
