Monterrey (Mexico) (AFP) – Bolivia produced a second-half fightback to shatter Suriname’s unlikely dream of World Cup qualification with a 2-1 victory in their FIFA playoff game in Mexico on Thursday. A 79th-minute penalty from Santos striker Miguel Terceros, following an equalizer from teenage substitute Moises Paniagua, fired Bolivia into a winner-take-all final playoff against Iraq next Tuesday.
Suriname, who had been bidding to become the lowest ranked team in history to qualify for the World Cup, had taken the lead in the 48th minute when Liam van Gelderen bundled home a close-range finish at the BBVA Stadium in Monterrey. That goal looked like being enough to secure victory for the former Dutch colony, who are ranked 123rd in the world and are made up mostly of players from the Netherlands of Surinamese descent.
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But Bolivia, who are chasing their first World Cup appearance since the 1994 finals in the USA, began to dominate as the second half drew on. They were thrown a lifeline when the 18-year-old Paniagua’s low shot made it 1-1 after 72 minutes. Six minutes later, an adventurous burst down the right flank from Bolivia fullback Diego Medina sowed panic in the Suriname defense.
Medina’s low cross found substitute Juan Sinforiano Godoy, who was tripped by Suriname defender Myenty Abena. Australian referee Alireza Faghani pointed to the spot, and after a brief delay, Terceros stepped up to drill in the spot kick and make it 2-1.
Bolivia now face Iraq next Tuesday, with the winner advancing to the World Cup’s Group I alongside France, Norway, and Senegal at this year’s finals in Mexico, Canada, and the United States.
© 2024 AFP
