Dick Advocaat has promised Curacao will make matters difficult for Germany as the World Cup minnows prepare for their tournament debut.
Curacao is the smallest nation to ever qualify for the World Cup, and their first game sees them take on four-time champions Germany in Houston.
Indeed, Germany are making their 21st World Cup appearance, more than any other European nation and second only to Brazil overall (23).
Advocaat, who initially resigned following Curacao’s qualification, only to return to his post, will be the oldest coach in the history of the tournament, at the age of 78 years and 260 days.
Sunday’s clash pits Advocaat against the tournament’s youngest coach, in Julian Nagelsmann, who the Dutchman rates extremely highly.
“He’s a young coach, young and famous,” Advocaat told reporters, as quoted by ESPN.
“To already become the coach of the national team, you must have something special, and he has that. We will make life very difficult for him, at least that’s what we try. But he’s an excellent coach.”
The 39-year-and-299-day age gap between Advocaat and Nagelsmann is the largest between two head coaches facing each other in the history of the competition.
Asked if he wished to be coaching into his late 70s, Nagelsmann said: “Not really. I love my job, but I hope I have some different things to do at [that] age.
“Dick Advocaat is a brilliant guy. I think he’s a really cool coach [who’s done] a brilliant job in Curacao.
“It’s incredible history that they qualified for the World Cup for the first time, and it’s also a great compliment for his work. It’s always [good] to talk to people with such experience. Me, as a young coach, I can always learn from people like him.”
Another veteran campaigner who will be featuring in this contest is Manuel Neuer, with Nagelsmann confirming the Bayern Munich goalkeeper is fit to start.
Neuer, who won the World Cup with Germany in 2014, has come out of international retirement for the tournament.
He is set to become the second German to play in five World Cups, after Lothar Matthaus. He would also be the second goalkeeper to appear in five editions of the tournament, after Mexico’s Antonio Carbajal.
