"VAN" (Sports Desk - 15.01.2026) :: A dream seemed to be coming true for the Surinamese national team, better known as Natio, as the squad prepared for the World Cup match against Guatemala on November 18th. They had won the last qualifying match against El Salvador resoundingly (4-0), and every Surinamese considered it normal that Natio would qualify for the final tournament. Unfortunately, things turned out differently, and a 3 -1 loss and Panama's 3 - 0 victory over El Salvador meant Panama took the first place in the group, relegating Suriname to second place. Qualification for the World Cup in Mexico, the United States, and Canada is now only possible through the playoffs. In the playoffs the first match is against Bolivia and if we win we will play against Iraq.
Stanley Menzo resigned after the loss, and on December 14th, the Suriname Football Association announced that an agreement had been reached with Henk Ten Cate to lead Suriname to the World Cup.
TEN CATE'S EXPERIENCE Ten Cate's resume speaks volumes about his experience as head coach at Ajax and assistant coach at FC Barcelona and Chelsea. Shortly after Ten Cate's appointment, Winston Bogarde (assistant at Ajax) and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (coach of Burton Albion and Queens Park Rangers, among others, and also assistant coach for the England national team) were added to the coaching staff.
CONFIDENT OF WORLD CUP QUALIFICATION On Monday, January 12th, Henk Ten Cate was officially presented to the Surinamese press during a press conference organized by the SVB (Surinaamse Voetbal Bond). The confidence Ten Cate exudes when he states that he only accepted the job because he is convinced Suriname will qualify for the World Cup is significant. "I am very honored to be taking on this job, and it will be a daunting task, but I have complete confidence in it, and I want to convey that confidence to you, as well as to the players: We're going to make it, we're going to the World Cup; that should be everyone's goal. It's not for nothing that our motto is: Bribi na Krakti. (This means Believe in your Strength). I believe that if you focus on achieving a goal together, you'll go far. We have plenty of quality, both in the staff and the squad, and we've acquired players of international caliber who know what winning is all about. We have a goal, and that goal is the World Cup. We're going to the World Cup as a nation. Again, I'm convinced that we'll make it; otherwise, I wouldn't be here."
PREPARATION HAS BEGUN When asked how he plans to achieve this goal, he replied: "It's not easy. The matches are being played in Mexico, and our players are spread out all over the world. There's no time to get together before the match against Bolivia, so I'll have to do it with personal phone calls. There's a squad of about 30 players, and I'll speak to them via Zoom calls.
"Preparation for the match has already begun, with analyzing the opponent, hotel accommodations, nutrition, and traveling to Monterrey, which isn't easy either, as we won't be there until March 22nd, or at the latest, 23rd, and the match is on March 26th. So you only have two days to really prepare. That's a disadvantage compared to the opponent, but we have so much quality that we have to get the job done. You wonder where my positivism comes from. It's because, A: I saw Bolivia play, and I think they're a good team, but certainly not unbeatable. And B: If I didn't believe in them, how would I convey that?" I'm transferring it to my players. My players have to believe in it through training sessions and showing them footage. We're going to focus on our own quality, not that of the opponent.
"Our quality should be sufficient to get the job done. We have good players and players in form, and I hope they'll be in even better shape by then. My message is one of positivity, and that should carry us through to the World Cup."
Cr-AIPS
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