AGENCIES

The latest country to make their World Cup debut will also have the oldest coach ever in the tournament when Curacao play traditional powerhouse Germany in a Group E match in Houston tonight.

The match kicks off at 11:00 pm Bangladesh time.

At 78, Dutch-born Dick Advocaat will become the oldest on the bench and will end the musical chairs of record-holders already in the early stages of this World Cup.

No other coach in the World Cup is older than Advocaat, who took over the Curacao in January 2024 and coached them to 28 goals in 10 qualifying matches, the most among all CONCACAF teams.

Curacao is the smallest country by population (about 156,000) to qualify for the World Cup.

“I consider qualifying the smallest country in the world for the World Cup one of the highlights of my career,” Advocaat said. “I’m proud of my players, staff and the board members who believed in us.”

It will be a tough task playing the four-time World Cup champions.

“We are not the favorites, we know this when we start,” Advocaat told The Guardian. “But people who aren’t favorites can surprise. Today, you can even go on (to the next round) with two or three points.”

The Germans are not one of the favorites in this World Cup, either, but have won nine matches in a row with an eye on regaining glory.

Since winning the 2014 World Cup, they have not gotten out of their group, with just two wins since the title run in Brazil. In Russia in 2018 they finished last in their group and four years later in Qatar they finished third.

“We are ready,” Germany’s 38-year-old coach Julian Nagelsmann said. “I don’t know if it’s my job to create euphoria ahead of the tournament. My job is to create the moments that lead to that joy.”