BAKU (DA) — Curaçao’s under-15 national football team will advance directly to the Tier F round of 16 at the FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival, awaiting the winner of Samoa’s match against Papua New Guinea after receiving a first-round bye.
Curaçao’s next game is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 3:45 p.m. in Azerbaijan, or 7:45 a.m. in Curaçao, on Pitch 1B at the Hovsan Competition Complex.
The tournament’s match centre marks Curaçao’s round-of-32 fixture, match 477, as cancelled. The published bracket assigns Curaçao a bye, and FIFA’s updated playing schedule omits that fixture while retaining the team’s route into the next round.
Tier F has 29 teams in a bracket built for 32, leaving three first-round places without opponents. Curaçao, New Zealand and Fiji occupy those bye positions and advance without playing an opening match.
Curaçao’s round-of-16 appearance is designated match 573. Samoa and Papua New Guinea meet earlier Wednesday in match 485 to determine its opponent.
The Curaçao squad entered Tier F after finishing sixth in Group F, losing its five matches against Costa Rica, Belize, Liberia, Morocco and the Philippines.
Under the tournament format, group-stage results determine placement in six performance tiers. Teams continue competing through title and placement matches, with a winner crowned in each tier. The Tier A winner takes the overall championship.
Sendley Bito coaches Curacao’s 14-player squad, with Thomas Slos serving as his assistant. Matches feature 8 players per team and consist of two halves of 20 minutes. The tournament concludes Oct. 30.