MIAMI.- Suriname is an up-and-coming team thanks to dedicating their efforts in growing the footballing culture to strengthen their team. Their mission is to have a strong team that will lead them into international tournaments and put the country’s name on the list of contenders to win the Concacaf Gold Cup.
Out of their four Concacaf World Cup Qualifying games for Qatar 2022, Suriname won three by more than one goal and only suffered one loss. It was a perfect reflection of the improvement that the team has shown during the past few years, including topping their group in League B of the 2019-20 Concacaf Nations League to punch their 2021 Gold Cup ticket.
One recent addition to the Suriname roaster is Ridgeciano Haps, who joined the team in 2021 and only has four caps, but has quickly become a key player of the squad. Although Haps has recently played more as a left-back, he grew up playing as a left-wing, making him a player with a unique set of skills.
Another change that has helped the team grow has been the exposure of their national players to different styles of football. Several players play outside of the country, compared to just a couple of years when one only player had a contract to play outside of Suriname. Now Inter Miami from Major League Soccer and AFC Ajax from the Dutch League, to name a few, are some of the clubs that have a player from the Suriname National Team on their roster.
Suriname striker Gleofilo Vlijter, who is only 21-year-old, already plays outside of Suriname with Beitar Jerusalem F.C. in the Israeli professional football league. Vlijter has nine appearances with the national team and has scored 11 goals, including a CNL leading 10 scores to earn Golden Boot honors.
The young forward is a player to watch in the upcoming Gold Cup, alongside the entire Suriname squad who is coming in confident of their capabilities and is ready to show the world that the country is very much a football hot spot.
