Suriname Left Without Head Coach Days Before World Cup Playoff

The Suriname national team has suffered a major setback just days before their intercontinental World Cup playoff. The Surinamese Football Federation announced that head coach Stanley Menzo has stepped down due to personal reasons, leaving the team without a manager at the most crucial moment in their road to the 2026 World Cup.

Suriname finished second in Group A of the Concacaf Qualifiers with 9 points and a +3 goal differential. While they fell just one win short of catching Panama — who topped the group with 12 points — their performance earned them a playoff spot. Now, Suriname must reorganize without its coach to fight for a historic World Cup berth.

The final matchday did not help their momentum. Suriname suffered a 3–1 loss to Guatemala, who had already been eliminated. Despite the Chapines finishing strong, the victory wasn’t enough for them to enter contention for the playoff spot.

A curious detail from the campaign remains key: Suriname’s final goal of the qualifiers came via an own-goal by Gerardo Samayoa in the previous match, a strike that mathematically eliminated Honduras from World Cup qualification possibilities.

Menzo’s resignation complicates the scenario, but Suriname must focus on their last chance. The federation is working urgently to determine who will take over for the playoff match while the squad tries to maintain composure amid the sudden coaching vacancy. The playoff now becomes the ultimate challenge of this qualifying run — one Suriname will face without its architect, but with the hope that the group’s belief and resilience will carry them one step further.