Context : Open clusters older than \sim 4 Gyr are rare in the Galaxy .
Affected by a series of mass-decreasing processes , the stellar content of most open clusters dissolves into the field in a time-scale shorter than \sim 1 Gyr .
In this sense , improving the statistics of old objects may provide constraints for a better understanding of the dynamical dissolution of open clusters .

Aims : Our main purpose is to investigate the nature of the Globular cluster candidate FSR 1716 , located at \ell = 329.8 ^ { \circ } and b = -1.6 ^ { \circ } .
We also derive parameters of the anti-centre open cluster Czernik 23 ( FSR 834 ) .
Both objects have been detected as stellar overdensities in the Froebrich , Scholz & Raftery star cluster candidate catalogue .

Methods : The analyses are based on near-infrared colour-magnitude diagrams and stellar radial density profiles .
The intrinsic colour-magnitude diagram morphology is enhanced by a field-star decontamination algorithm applied to the 2MASS J , H , and K _ { s } photometry .

Results : Isochrone fits indicate that FSR 1716 is more probably an old ( \sim 7 Gyr ) and absorbed ( \mbox { $ A _ { V } $ } = 6.3 \pm 0.2 ) open cluster , located \approx 0.6 kpc inside the Solar circle in a contaminated central field .
However , we can not rule out the possibility of a low-mass , loose globular cluster .
Czernik 23 is shown to be an almost absorption-free open cluster , \sim 5 Gyr old , located about 2.5 kpc towards the anti-centre .
In both cases , Solar and sub-Solar ( [ Fe / H ] \sim - 0.5 ) metallicity isochrones represent equally well the stellar sequences .
Both star clusters have a low mass content ( \la 200 \mbox { $M _ { \odot } $ } ) presently stored in stars .
Their relatively small core and cluster radii are comparable to those of other open clusters of similar age .
These structural parameters are probably consequence of the several Gyrs of mass loss due to stellar evolution , tidal interactions with the disk ( and bulge in the case of FSR 1716 ) , and possibly giant molecular clouds .

Conclusions : Czernik 23 , and especially FSR 1716 , are rare examples of extreme dynamical survivors .
The identification of both as such represents an increase of \approx 10 \% to the known population of open clusters older than \sim 4 Gyr in the Galaxy .