Curaçao’s national football team can write history this evening (see related story) by qualifying for the FIFA World Cup. It would be a first, also for the former Netherlands Antilles.
This did not happen suddenly or by chance. Plans and efforts to reach the highest global soccer podium started years ago with former Dutch international Patrick Kluivert as coach.
An appeal was made to many professional players with roots on the island active in the Netherlands and other mainly European leagues. Since then the country has qualified for several Confederation of Central American and Caribbean Football Concacaf Gold Cups.
Not everyone was happy, pointing out that players in Curaçao’s own semi-professional “Federashon di Futbol Korsou”(FFK) competition would not be able to represent their country in practice. That indeed happened, but the national team’s success has stimulated especially young resident players.
This is a formula that many others also in the region are applying. The reality is often that facilities, technical knowledge as well as quality of play in Europe and elsewhere exceed those available locally.
The hosting of next summer’s World Cup Finals by the US, Mexico and Canada which consequently all got automatic spots is a golden opportunity. This obviously greatly increased chances to qualify from the Concacaf zone.
Working closely with the Royal Netherlands Football Union KNVB and involving experienced Dutch coaches like Dick Advocaat thus appears to have borne fruit. In general, cooperating within the kingdom can help elevate sports on the islands.
Another example is participation as Team Kingdom of the Netherlands at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) next March. The best field players, including several in Major League Baseball (MLB), come from Curaçao and Aruba, but the Dutch league that also features many islanders has most of the necessary pitching, organisation and resources to make a difference.
When it comes to sports, working together within the kingdom can improve performances of both each individual part and as a whole. It’s win-win situation.
