PREVIEW-Tiny Curacao and strife-torn Haiti close to World Cup qualification

Curacao could become the smallest country to compete at the World Cup, conflict-torn Haiti may defy the odds, and another small nation Suriname has a chance to qualify for the first time when the Concacaf qualifiers conclude on Tuesday.

But there are four other countries - Costa Rica, Honduras, Jamaica and Panama - also in the running for the three automatic berths reserved at the expanded 48-nation 2026 finals for teams from the Central and North American and Caribbean confederation.

Each of the three group winners advances to the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the U.S next June while the two best-ranked runners-up will go into the inter-confederation playoffs in March where two more World Cup places will be decided.

Curacao, a self-governing part of the Netherlands with a population of just over 150,000, will replace Iceland as the smallest country to ever qualify for a World Cup if they avoid defeat in Jamaica.

But they will have to do so without 78-year-old coach Dick Advocaat, who returned to the Netherlands at the weekend for family reasons and will miss the game.

Advocaat has built a team on the back of Dutch-based professionals with Antillean roots. A 7-0 win away over Bermuda in their penultimate Group B clash last Thursday saw Curacao take over top place after Jamaica drew at Trinidad and Tobago, leaving the Reggae Boyz needing a home win on Tuesday to qualify.

“We will try to at least put some positivity and a smile on people’s faces in the midst of adversity because there is nothing better than a Jamaican smile,” said coach Steve McClaren, hoping qualification can help temper the impact of the devastation across Jamaica from last month’s Hurricane Melissa.

Suriname conclude their Group A campaign away at