Just hours remain before the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Play-Off Tournament kicks off, with Suriname facing Bolivia on Thursday 26 March for the right to meet Iraq on 31 March for a place in the global finals.
The four-month span between the conclusion of Concacaf qualifying and the play-off gave Suriname the chance to strengthen. Two new faces are part of the squad that will take on the South Americans at Monterrey Stadium, Melayro Bogarde and Joel Piroe, each boasting distinctive qualities that could make the difference in Mexico.
“I was really happy when I spoke with them and they said yes,” said Suriname head coach Henk ten Cate. “They’re good players, so we are very happy with that. The squad is getting better and better.”
Bogarde is a welcomed defensive addition. Suriname proved vulnerable to opponents attacking in transition during qualifying, in particular their finale against Guatemala when the Central Americans scored their final two goals on the counter in a 3-1 win.
A ball-winning and aerially dominant defensive midfielder like Bogarde will be paramount to cut down attempts from a Bolivia team that will be keen to keep the ball on the ground, or try to surprise through the air.
Former Dutch national team player Winston Bogarde is a member of Ten Cate’s technical staff and uncle to Melayro, calling his nephew “super strong on the ball”. The 23-year-old is adept in the passing game as well, evidenced by his four assists this season with Austrian side LASK.
It is no coincidence that with Bogarde as a sure-fire starter, LASK has reached the final of the Austrian Cup, a tournament they haven’t won in 60 years, and are in the mix for their first Austrian Bundesliga title since 1965.
On the attacking end, while Suriname accumulated 19 goals in their ten qualifying matches, their top scorer was a modest three goals from Richonell Margaret, all coming in a two-match span during the third round.
In this win-or-go-home scenario, Suriname will benefit from a proven goalscorer up top and Piroe fits the bill. The 25-year-old, who previously represented the Netherlands at U-20 level but is now suiting up for his father’s homeland, has reached the 19-goal plateau in three of the last five seasons in English football.
While he has not found the back of the net for Leeds United in the 2025/26 Premier League campaign, his goalscoring exploits in the Championship suggests that with proper service, Piroe can be the man at the No9.
“When we speak about his finishing, I think he’s world-class,” said Leeds coach Daniel Farke about Piroe. “I love his finishing. I’m struggling to find, in this whole country, players who are better in those finishing moments.”
His greatest successes have come when he arrives late in the box to await service from a speedy winger. This plays nicely into one of Suriname’s greatest strengths. Mainz winger Sheraldo Becker tormented opponents in 1v1 situations with his worm-burning runs down the flanks and inch-perfect deliveries into the area in qualifying. Now with a clinical striker like Piroe on the awaiting end, Ten Cate has the perfect formula to place a lot of stress on the Bolivian back-line.
In both Bogarde and Piroe, the elements are there to push Suriname across the World Cup finish line for the first time.
