WILLEMSTAD (DA) — Curaçao heads into its first competitive window since the World Cup with a 23-player squad that retains most of the group that played on football’s biggest stage while giving Dick Advocaat several different options for the CONCACAF Nations League.
Goalkeeper Kiyani Zeggen is the only first-time call-up. Jurich Carolina, Nicky Souren, Nigel Thomas and Jordi Paulina are among the players back in the group after missing the World Cup.
Head coach
Dick Advocaat
Head coach | Age 78 | Netherlands
Advocaat enters the Nations League with his future settled after the Curaçao Football Federation (FFK) extended his contract through July 31, 2027. He originally took charge in 2024, guided Curaçao to its first World Cup qualification, stepped down in February and returned in May after Fred Rutten’s departure.
Curaçao took one point from its first World Cup, highlighted by the 0-0 draw against Ecuador. Advocaat’s familiarity with the core of the team is an advantage, but this window also presents a different challenge. Several established players have limited club minutes, some are dealing with injuries and others are entering the later stages of their careers. At the same time, players such as Zeggen, Noslin, Souren, Thomas and Paulina give him opportunities to broaden the group rather than simply reproduce the World Cup squad.
Goalkeepers
Tyrick Bodak
Goalkeeper | Age 24 | Vitesse | Netherlands — Eerste Divisie (2nd tier) | 4 caps
Bodak already knows the senior national-team environment and, at 24, remains young for a goalkeeper. His current club situation, however, is the biggest obstacle to pushing for a larger Curaçao role.
He has not played a competitive first-team minute for Vitesse this season and has instead been used as a substitute goalkeeper. That follows another period with limited senior playing time. With Room playing regularly in the United States and Zeggen accumulating professional minutes for Jong AZ, Bodak arrives without the match rhythm of either of Curaçao’s other goalkeepers.
Eloy Room
Goalkeeper | Age 37 | Miami FC | United States — USL Championship (2nd tier) | 64 caps
Room remains Curaçao’s established No. 1. His 15-save performance against Ecuador was one of the outstanding individual displays of Curaçao’s World Cup and was central to the country earning its first point at the tournament.
He has remained active with Miami FC, starting regularly in the USL Championship and continuing to produce important moments, including late penalty saves against Detroit City and Brooklyn.
At 37, succession planning is unavoidable, particularly with Zeggen now entering the senior picture. Room is also playing behind a Miami side that frequently requires him to deal with a significant volume of shots. Those circumstances make his workload demanding, but there is little in his recent performance level to suggest Curaçao has an immediate reason to move away from him.
Kiyani Zeggen
Goalkeeper | Age 19 | AZ Alkmaar/Jong AZ | Netherlands — Eerste Divisie (2nd tier) | 0 caps
Zeggen is the youngest player in the squad and its only newcomer, but the call-up is based on more than youth-team potential. He has already been starting in the Eerste Divisie for Jong AZ this season and gaining regular professional minutes at only 19.
The early numbers also underline that he remains a developing goalkeeper. He has conceded regularly during the opening weeks and is still searching for the consistency that comes with experience. Senior international football will add another level of difficulty.
For Curaçao, the attraction is clear: a young goalkeeper already facing professional opposition every week. The expectation should still be development rather than immediately displacing Room.
Defenders
Joshua Brenet
Defender | Age 32 | Kayserispor | Turkey — 1. Lig (2nd tier) | 19 caps
Brenet finished last season strongly, including two assists in a May victory over Konyaspor, and subsequently became an important option for Curaçao at the World Cup. He played the full 90 minutes in the 0-0 draw against Ecuador.
His current club situation is much less favorable. Brenet has not appeared competitively for Kayserispor this season, leaving him without the weekly rhythm enjoyed by several other defenders.
His experience and ability to contribute in possession remain useful, but the absence of competitive minutes is significant, particularly with Kayserispor now playing in Turkey’s second tier.
Jurich Carolina
Defender | Age 28 | FK Borac Banja Luka | Bosnia and Herzegovina — Premier League (1st tier) | 14 caps
Carolina returns to the national team after missing the World Cup and has already had meaningful competitive football through Borac Banja Luka’s European campaign. His involvement in Conference League qualifying gave him pressure matches early in the season rather than a preseason built only around friendlies.
He also gives Advocaat another experienced defensive option who can fit more than one role across the back line. The challenge is re-establishing himself within a Curaçao defensive group that spent the World Cup together without him. His return increases competition, but his previous international experience does not automatically put him ahead of defenders who were part of the tournament rotation.
Roshon van Eijma
Defender | Age 28 | AE Kifisia | Greece — Super League Greece (1st tier) | 28 caps
Van Eijma entered the summer with a substantial body of club work after playing 27 league matches and more than 2,000 minutes for RKC Waalwijk last season.
The move to Kifisia has produced a slower start. His new league campaign has so far brought limited playing time, interrupting the rhythm he carried through last season.
Van Eijma’s experience and previous workload remain positives, but he is one of several Curaçao players whose current club situation is less settled than it was before the World Cup. Regular minutes will be important as he competes for a place in a crowded defensive group.
Sherel Floranus
Defender | Age 28 | PEC Zwolle | Netherlands — Eredivisie (1st tier) | 28 caps
Floranus was a regular for PEC Zwolle last season and played every minute of Curaçao’s three World Cup matches, making him one of Advocaat’s more established defensive options.
The start of this season has been interrupted twice. Floranus was sent off against Ajax and later suffered an injury against Sparta Rotterdam, forcing him to miss PEC Zwolle’s match against Feyenoord.
His versatility and familiarity with Curaçao’s structure are valuable, but his physical condition now matters more than his résumé. The priority entering camp is determining how fully he has recovered and how much of a workload he can handle.
Juriën Gaari
Defender | Age 32 | Abha | Saudi Arabia — Saudi Pro League (1st tier) | 57 caps
Gaari arrives with one of the clearest playing-time advantages in the squad. He has been a regular starter for Abha following the club’s promotion to the Saudi Pro League and has carried a heavy workload during the opening weeks.
That combines with extensive Curaçao experience, giving Advocaat both familiarity and current match fitness. Abha has found the step up to the top division difficult defensively, however, meaning Gaari has spent significant stretches playing without the luxury of controlling matches.
His value has never depended primarily on goals or assists. For a demanding international window, durability, defensive experience and the ability to handle different assignments remain his biggest strengths.
Armando Obispo
Defender | Age 27 | PSV Eindhoven | Netherlands — Eredivisie (1st tier) | 9 caps
Obispo has perhaps the strongest current club situation among Curaçao’s defenders. He has been starting regularly for PSV in the Eredivisie and has also played Champions League football, putting him into high-level matches immediately before international duty.
That continues a significant recent progression with the national team. Obispo played all three World Cup matches and demonstrated that he can handle major tournament opposition.
His relative weakness remains international experience compared with Gaari, Floranus and Van Eijma. At club level, however, few players in the squad are competing at a higher standard or receiving more demanding minutes. His current form gives him a strong case to become increasingly central to Curaçao’s defense.
Shurandy Sambo
Defender | Age 25 | Burnley | England — Championship (2nd tier) | 9 caps
Sambo arrived at the World Cup after a season in which he received substantial Eredivisie playing time on loan at Sparta Rotterdam. His athleticism and ability to advance from defense give Curaçao a different profile from some of its more conservative defensive options.
That rhythm has disappeared since his return to Burnley. Sambo has been included in matchday squads but has yet to play a competitive Championship minute this season.
The positive is that he is still only 25 and spent last season playing regularly at a strong level. The concern is immediate rather than long-term: he reports for international duty without competitive minutes while several teammates are playing every week.
Midfielders
Juninho Bacuna
Midfielder | Age 29 | Gaziantep FK | Turkey — Süper Lig (1st tier) | 51 caps
Bacuna remains one of Curaçao’s most flexible midfield options. He can operate deeper or move closer to the attack, and he opened the new Turkish season with an assist.
His start has also been disrupted. Bacuna has made only a small number of league appearances and was sent off early in the campaign, preventing him from building a sustained run of minutes.
With more than 50 international appearances, his place in Curaçao’s broader midfield picture is well established. The question entering this window is sharpness rather than familiarity or tactical value.
Leandro Bacuna
Midfielder | Age 35 | Iğdır FK | Turkey — 1. Lig (2nd tier) | 64 caps
Curaçao’s captain remains one of the most influential players in the team. He played every minute of the World Cup and continues to provide passing range, experience and a detailed understanding of Advocaat’s system.
His club situation is less convincing at the start of this season. Bacuna has been limited largely to substitute minutes for Iğdır FK after carrying a much larger workload last campaign.
At 35, the combination of reduced club football and a demanding Nations League schedule makes workload management relevant. Curaçao now has midfielders arriving with considerably more competitive minutes, which could allow Advocaat to reduce the burden on his captain without diminishing his importance.
Tahith Chong
Midfielder | Age 26 | Sheffield United | England — Championship (2nd tier) | 9 caps
Chong showed during the first half of the year why he can be an important attacking piece for Curaçao. He scored against Scotland before the World Cup and then played significant minutes at the tournament, including starts against Ecuador and Côte d’Ivoire.
His current club season has barely developed. Chong made only limited appearances for Sheffield United before being sidelined by a muscle injury and has not played since late August.
That changes the immediate evaluation. The question is less about whether Chong has the technical ability to help Curaçao and more about whether he will be sufficiently fit and sharp after the injury. If healthy, his ability to receive between the lines, turn under pressure and carry the ball gives Advocaat a different type of midfielder. If he is short of full fitness, the lack of recent football becomes a significant concern during a condensed international window.
Livano Comenencia
Midfielder | Age 22 | FC Zürich | Switzerland — Swiss Super League (1st tier) | 22 caps
Comenencia already has considerable international experience for his age and remains one of the squad’s most versatile players. FC Zürich has used him in more advanced midfield areas this season after he previously spent significant time in deeper and defensive roles.
He started regularly during the opening weeks of the Swiss Super League before his minutes became less consistent. The more advanced assignment has also yet to produce significant attacking numbers.
The versatility is useful, particularly during a multi-match window, but it also leaves Curaçao with a decision about where he is most effective. At 22, establishing a more defined role could be as important as simply adding another position to his résumé.
Ar’Jany Martha
Midfielder | Age 23 | Telstar | Netherlands — Eredivisie (1st tier) | 8 caps
Martha played extensively for Rotherham United last season, appearing 41 times in League One, and his ability to operate in several areas on the left gives Curaçao useful flexibility.
His present situation is different. After receiving limited minutes with Rotherham at the start of the new campaign, he moved to Telstar on loan. His early Eredivisie involvement there has also been light.
Last season demonstrated that Martha can handle a substantial weekly workload. The issue entering this international window is that he has not had anything close to that rhythm recently.
Tyrese Noslin
Midfielder | Age 24 | Barnsley | England — League One (3rd tier) | 8 caps
Noslin enters camp as one of Curaçao’s two most consistently used midfielders this season alongside Souren. He has started all six of Barnsley’s League One matches and played 531 of a possible 540 league minutes while also appearing in cup competition.
He has already scored this season, finding the net in the League Cup against Crewe Alexandra. That follows a 2025-26 campaign in which he recorded two goals and three assists in 34 Eredivisie appearances for Telstar.
His league attacking numbers at Barnsley have yet to take off, but the combination of regular starts, a current-season goal and nearly complete league-minute availability means Noslin arrives in strong competitive rhythm. The tradeoff is level: those minutes are now coming in England’s third tier rather than the Eredivisie.
Nicky Souren
Midfielder | Age 26 | SC Cambuur | Netherlands — Eredivisie (1st tier) | 1 cap
Souren joins Noslin as the midfielders arriving with the strongest sustained club workloads. He has started all six of Cambuur’s Eredivisie matches, played every available league minute and contributed an assist.
The distinction is the level of competition. Souren is doing it in the Netherlands’ top flight, and his current run follows two previous seasons in which he was also a regular starter rather than serving as a short-term replacement.
What he lacks is international experience. He has barely been tested with Curaçao compared with the Bacuna brothers and several other midfielders. His club form, however, gives Advocaat a legitimate reason to take a closer look. Few players in the squad combine his current minutes with that degree of continuity.
Forwards
Jeremy Antonisse
Forward | Age 24 | AE Kifisia | Greece — Super League Greece (1st tier) | 28 caps
Antonisse enters camp with regular top-flight football and already has substantial international experience for a 24-year-old. He appeared at the World Cup and scored against Aruba in Curaçao’s final warm-up before the tournament.
With Kifisia, he has been involved regularly from the beginning of the Greek league season. His opening appearances, however, have not produced a goal or assist.
That remains the central question surrounding his game. Antonisse can carry the ball, move Curaçao up the field and occupy dangerous wide areas, but greater end product would turn that involvement into something more decisive.
Kenji Gorré
Forward | Age 31 | Maccabi Haifa | Israel — Premier League (1st tier) | 38 caps
Gorré remains one of Curaçao’s most experienced attacking players. He scored four league goals for Maccabi Haifa last season and has continued to receive minutes at the start of the current campaign.
He has yet to score this season, while his role for Curaçao was also limited at the World Cup.
The experience and ability to attack from wide areas remain useful, but competition for places is increasing. With Margaritha arriving in strong form and Thomas earning his chance after productive Eredivisie minutes, Gorré’s role is increasingly likely to be determined by current production rather than reputation.
Nigel Thomas
Forward | Age 25 | ADO Den Haag | Netherlands — Eredivisie (1st tier) | 0 caps
Thomas enters the squad without a senior Curaçao appearance but with one of the more notable individual club performances among the returning players.
He has been starting in the Eredivisie for ADO Den Haag and produced both a goal and an assist in the 2-2 draw away to Feyenoord on Aug. 30.
There is still uncertainty around his place at club level after he was left unused in a subsequent match, and his top-flight sample remains small. International football is also entirely new to him. His recent production nevertheless gives Advocaat tangible evidence of what he can offer rather than relying on projection alone.
Jürgen Locadia
Forward | Age 32 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | United States — USL Championship (2nd tier) | 15 caps
Locadia has the strongest recent scoring résumé among Curaçao’s forwards. He produced 10 goals and two assists in all competitions for Miami FC before being acquired by Tampa Bay earlier this month.
He has already made his Rowdies debut, coming off the bench shortly after completing the move. That means he arrives with a substantial amount of competitive football behind him even though he is adapting to a new club environment.
The unanswered question remains his international scoring return. Locadia started all three World Cup matches without scoring. His ability to occupy defenders and provide a central reference remains useful, but Curaçao needs more of the finishing he has shown in club football to transfer to the national team.
Jearl Margaritha
Forward | Age 26 | SK Beveren | Belgium — Jupiler Pro League (1st tier) | 24 caps
Margaritha enters the window in arguably the best immediate attacking form in the squad. He has two goals and one assist through five Belgian top-flight appearances and has scored in consecutive matches against OH Leuven and Sint-Truiden.
The significance is not only the numbers but the level. Beveren earned promotion last season, and Margaritha is now producing against first-tier opposition rather than simply repeating his numbers in Belgium’s second division.
Five matches is still a small top-flight sample, but current form matters. Unlike several other Curaçao attackers, Margaritha arrives with both regular involvement and recent goals, giving Advocaat a strong argument for increasing his role.
Jordi Paulina
Forward | Age 21 | Fortuna Düsseldorf | Germany — 3. Liga (3rd tier) | 2 caps
Paulina’s Curaçao résumé consists of only two matches, but he scored twice on his senior debut against Bermuda. That gives him an unusual international record for a player still trying to establish himself at club level.
This season he has made limited appearances in Germany’s 3. Liga and has yet to score. His recent club production therefore does not match the immediate impact he made in a Curaçao shirt.
Paulina turns 22 on Sept. 23, one day before Curaçao opens against Costa Rica. His age and early international scoring make him an intriguing option for the future, but his current club form means he still has ground to make up on the more established forwards.
Curaçao’s squad is not simply a continuation of the World Cup group. Advocaat has retained the experience that carried the team through qualification and into the tournament, but the current club picture creates genuine competition in several areas.
Room, Obispo, Gaari, Noslin, Souren and Margaritha arrive with strong recent workloads or form, while Brenet, Sambo, Chong and Martha enter with questions about minutes, fitness or rhythm. Zeggen and Thomas add new possibilities, and Paulina offers another young attacking option.
How Advocaat balances those contrasting situations may shape the opening Nations League window as much as reputation or past international performances. The World Cup established Curaçao’s core. The next step is determining which players are best positioned now to carry that group forward.