Curacao national team captain Leandro Bacuna says the team is very confident despite expecting a tough contest from the Reggae Boyz on Friday in their Concacaf World Cup qualifier at the Ergilio Hato Stadium.

The hosts will be looking to continue their unbeaten start to the qualifiers after beating Bermuda 3-2 and drawing 0-0 with Trinidad and Tobago in September.

However, they sit second in the group on four points as Jamaica lead with six points following their wins over Bermuda and Trinidad, which has them in pole position to qualify for next summer’s FIFA World Cup.

Bacuna says he has respect for the Jamaicans but is optimistic about their chances on Friday.

“It’s very important — it’s now or never,” he told Observer Online.

“This is the game because if you look at the group we are in, from the first couple of times we looked at it, it’s going to be Jamaica. There’s going to be nerves for both teams but it’s about who can deal with it best,” Bacuna added.

Curacao trained on Tuesday evening and are expected to train again this afternoon while the Jamaican team are on course to land in Curacao this afternoon before training on Thursday morning.

— Daniel Blake