Curaçao have qualified for the upcoming 2025 Gold Cup. Dick Advocaat’s side beat Saint Lucia in the CONCACAF Nations League 4-1, sealing Curaçao as the group winner.
Things were still tense in Willemstad, as Saint Lucia could have become the group winners themselves with a win. However, Gervane Kastaneer, formerly of NAC Breda and PEC Zwolle among others, scored twice in the first half, giving Curaçao more confidence.
Although Saint Lucia managed to grab one back thanks to Ryan Charles, the duel was decided by another double in the second half, this time from Juninho Bacuna.
The victory brings Curaçao to thirteen points from six group matches and makes the group win a fact. Not only does Curaçao advance to the highest division of the CONCACAF Nations League, but the country also secures a ticket for next year’s Gold Cup.
Curaçao is now placed together with Haiti, El Salvador, the United States, and Panama. The tournament with sixteen participants starts in June 2025 and will be played in Canada and the United States.
This Gold Cup qualification arrives as just the third in Curaçao’s footballing history. In 2019, they reached the quarter-finals of the tournament. This was particularly impressive, given that 2017 was just their first appearance.
Unfortunately, the following edition fell through due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and last year, Curaçao missed out on qualifying for the Gold Cup by losing to St. Kitts & Nevis on penalties in the qualifying tournament. However, this latest chapter under Dick Advocaat points to positive times ahead.
