Curacao, playing their first FIFA World Cup match and up against giants Germany, conjured a courageous act that will be spoken about in the days to come. By the sixth minute, Curacao were down 0-1, with Felix Nmecha slotting one home in style. What followed was a period of complete domination by the four-time winner. Curacao defended with their lives as Germany raided the Curacao box in hordes.
The reply came in the 21st minute as a counter-attack caught Germany's defence napping, and one of the youngest players of the squad - Livano Comenencia, all of 22 - forever entered the sporting folklore of the Dutch Caribbean island. Comenencia is now the first goal-scorer in a FIFA World Cup for Curacao.
Comenencia was born in the Netherlands and was a youth international for the Netherlands. He even played for Netherlands U18s. In October 2024, he first played for Curacao's senior team. He currently plays for Swiss Super League club Zurich in Switzerland. Earlier, he has played for Juventus Next Gen, the reserve team of Juventus, and Jong PSV.
On Sunday, the island nation of 150,000 people became the smallest country ever to compete at the FIFA World Cup.
🚨🌎 LIVANO COMENENCIA HAS EQUALIZED F0R CURACAO! INCREDIBLE! 🤯
— football updates (@The90Minsfeed) June 14, 2026
Germany 1-1 Curacao.pic.twitter.com/7iakhA3xY5
Coach Dick Advocaat has done his best to keep his players focused and relaxed as they navigate this unprecedented experience.
"Just be yourself, and don't be nervous," defender Shurandy Sambo said Advocaat told them, just before the team left its Florida base camp for Houston. "Of course everybody is excited, but just be yourself, show yourself, because this is the biggest stage."
The Curacao players have worked hard to ensure they are prepared for their debut. Germany, making its 21st appearance in the World Cup, is a heavy favorite.
"We've watched a lot of clips of Germany, how they play, what they can do," Sambo said.
Advocaat said there is more pressure on teams like Germany that are considered favorites and that his team has "everything to win and nothing to lose."
He's confident that Curacao is ready for the challenge of facing Germany, which he referred to as a towering contender.
"We are a minor, very small country compared to Germany, and we're going to make life very difficult for them," he said. "We're going to be a very unpleasant team to play."
Curacao's squad is representing a country that rarely has a chance to have moments as big as this on international sports stages.
Due to its strong Dutch ties, Curacao is not recognized in the Olympics as its own nation, and despite its impressive per-capita production of professional baseball athletes, Curacao players represent the Netherlands at the World Baseball Classic.
from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/FEbDw1e
