Left-back Marchelon Poirier of Groningen’s Be Quick 1887 is Bonaire’s Virgil van Dijk tonight. ‘National anthem? Eh…’
Footballer Marchelon Poirier will make his international debut for Bonaire, the island where his father Marshall was born, tonight at 1am Dutch time.
A few weeks ago, a phone call came from the Bonaire Football Federation to see if Marcelon Poirier wanted to be an international player for an important CONCACAF match against Saint-Martin, the French part of Saint-Martin.
Contacts in the association
Well, Marchilone wanted it. “And the invitation wasn’t unexpected either,” says Poirier, who was born in Delfzijl and grew up there. “My father is still very connected to the association there. He really dropped the ball. I knew there might be an invitation.”
At fourth division club Be Quick, Poirier usually plays as a left-back, but tonight he will play at centre-back. “He’s a bit like Virgil. We play with five defenders here, and I’m in the centre.” The fact that as a new international he starts immediately in the starting line-up doesn’t really surprise Poirier. “I’ve already been in contact with national coach Rylov Ganga. He told me he wanted me to play in this position.”
Not a member of FIFA
Saint Martin is the opponent in Bonaire’s first match in the CONCACAF Nations League, the association football association of Central America and the Caribbean.
Bonaire is governed by an island government, but as a special municipality of the Netherlands, it remains under our national government. Bonaire is therefore not a member of FIFA. For example, the small island with a population of just over 20,000 people never plays qualifying matches for the World Championship.
Sitting in the lobby of the players’ hotel in St. Kitts, where the match is being held, Poirier says he is looking forward to the match. “Although Saint Martin is a very difficult opponent for us and has a very strong striker.”
San Martin won all meetings 6-0
Tonight is St. Maarten’s second match in the group with three national teams. Earlier, the team beat Anguilla, another Caribbean island, with a score of 6-0. “We will have to work hard,” Poirier predicts.
And the national anthem? “Eh, yeah, that’s what you’re telling me. I still need to practice it, I guess. Or is it just Wilhelmus? No, I don’t think so. I’ll Google it.”
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