The referee ended the match in the eleventh minute of stoppage time and the Curaçao players collapsed on the pitch. Even at home, the celebration of football tales has no limits. It felt like almost every island resident stood up and celebrated the nation’s new hero – according to the national statistics agency in January, 156,115 residents lived on the small plot of land. For comparison: German record champions FC Bayern currently have 432,500 members – almost three times the population of Curaçao. The Caribbean nation is now the smallest country to have taken part in the World Cup so far.
“In the next few days the entire island will be completely turned upside down,” wrote the portal “Curaçao.nu”. FIFA President Gianni Infantino also congratulated the World Cup newcomers. “Congratulations to Curaçao on this extraordinary achievement. This is only your fourth cycle as an independent country, but you have inspired us all. You deserve to qualify,” Infantino said in a video message. Curaçao has only been independent since 2010 and was previously part of the Netherlands Antilles.
Meanwhile, Jamaica still has to worry about qualifications and has to look for a new coach. After the game, Steve McClaren, who took over the team in July last year, announced his resignation at a press conference. “It is the coach’s responsibility to move forward, take responsibility and make decisions in the best interests of the team so they can move forward,” said the 64-year-old, who coached VfL Wolfsburg between 2010 and 2011: “After much consideration and an honest assessment of our current situation and objectives, I have decided to step down as head coach.”
