SURINAME secured a stunning 2-1 victory over El Salvador in a 2026 World Cup qualifying match on Monday, marking their first win against the Salvadorans since 1968.
Dhoraso Klas scored the decisive goal in the 81st minute to complete the remarkable upset in CONCACAF Group A action.
Suriname, which has never qualified for a World Cup final, toppled El Salvador from the top of the group standings with this result.
The victory ended an eight-match winless streak against El Salvador and moved Suriname to four points after two matches.
Suriname had opened their qualifying campaign with a goalless home draw against Panama prior to this triumph.
El Salvador now sits on three points after beginning with a 1-0 victory over Guatemala.
The other Group A match saw Panama and Guatemala play to a 1-1 draw in Panama City, leaving both teams winless after two rounds.
El Salvador still leads the all-time series against Suriname with eight wins, two losses, and one draw.
Suriname’s only previous victory over El Salvador came in December 1968 during qualifying for the 1970 Mexico World Cup.
Suriname took an early lead through Radinio Balker’s 12th-minute header from his Huddersfield Town position.
Brayan Gil thought he had equalized for El Salvador in the 29th minute, but the goal was overturned following a video review.
The Salvadorans finally leveled the score in the 73rd minute through an unfortunate own goal from Suriname defender Anfernee Dijksteel.
Klas then secured the historic victory with his right-footed strike from the right side eight minutes later.
CONCACAF final round qualifying underwent format changes this year due to Mexico, Canada, and the United States serving as World Cup co-hosts.
The twelve remaining teams were divided into three groups of four, with group winners advancing directly to the World Cup.
Two second-place teams will advance to inter-confederation playoffs for additional World Cup spots.
In the concurrent match, Guatemala took the lead through Oscar Santis’s 35th-minute strike in Panama City.
Carlos Harvey equalized for Panama just two minutes later with a header from an Eric Davis assist.
Panama extended their unbeaten streak against Guatemala to 15 matches across all competitions since 2005. – AFP
