WILLEMSTAD (DA) — Curaçao’s trip to Australia for the FIFA Series began Sunday under disrupted travel plans, with the 41-member delegation split across five separate flights through Singapore after an original route via Qatar fell apart because of the conflict in Iran.
The delegation includes the 26 players called up for the FIFA Series, but the group will not travel together after the federation was forced into a late reshuffle to get everyone to Australia.
The initial plan had been for the delegation to gather in Amsterdam and then continue to Australia via Qatar. Bookings had already been made, but those arrangements had to be abandoned, leaving the federation to scramble for new flights.
The travel setback also affected player comfort on the long journey. Curaçao had planned to fly the delegation in business class, but with those seats no longer available, the group was instead booked in economy.
With the demanding trip now part of the buildup, the federation and Fred Rutten requested a minimum of nine substitutions for Curaçao’s opening FIFA Series match against China in an effort to keep players fit for the second game against Australia. The plan is for one Curaçao team to play the first half and another to take over after the break.
Curaçao will not unveil its new adidas look in Australia. The team is set to continue wearing its old kit during the FIFA Series.
The new away kit is scheduled to debut in May against Scotland, while the new home kit is set to be worn in June in the home match against Aruba.
Curaçao opens the FIFA Series against China on Friday, March 27, at Accor Stadium in Sydney. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. local time, or 2 a.m. in Curaçao.
The second match is against Australia on Tuesday, March 31, at AAMI Park in Melbourne. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. local time, which is 5:10 a.m. in Curaçao.