Guyana’s hopes of staying in League A of the CONCACAF Nations League were dashed after a heavy 5-1 defeat to Suriname on Tuesday night.
The result not only confirmed Suriname’s promotion to the tournament’s quarter-finals for the first time in their history, but it also relegated Guyana back to League B for the 2025 edition.
Suriname’s fans packed the Dr. IR Franklin Essed Stadium in Paramaribo, eager to witness the showdown between the neighboring South American teams. The home side didn’t disappoint, delivering a dominant performance that saw them secure a spot among the region’s top teams, including Mexico, Canada, and the USA.
From the opening whistle, Suriname took control of the game, with Sheraldo Becker firing in a goal in the third minute to set the tone. He doubled Suriname’s advantage just seven minutes later after Guyanese goalkeeper Quillian Roberts could only parry a shot from Virgil Misidjan, leaving Becker to pounce for his second goal of the night.
Early setbacks
Despite the early setbacks, Guyana briefly found a way back into the match when Jalen Jones capitalized on a well-worked set-piece to score in the 13th minute, narrowing the deficit to 2-1. However, Suriname swiftly regained their momentum, and by halftime, Misidjan had extended the lead to 3-1, leaving Guyana with a steep hill to climb.
The second half saw more of the same as Suriname continued to dominate. Denzel Jubitana netted their fourth goal in the 51st minute, and Ridgeciano Haps added a fifth in the 69th minute to round off the scoring.
Guyana struggled to cope with Suriname’s pace and clinical finishing, and despite their best efforts, they were unable to convert further opportunities. After the game, goalscorer Jones reflected on the team’s missed chances, admitting that failure to capitalize on key moments in both matches had cost them dearly.
We needed more goals
“We had opportunities, especially in the first game, but didn’t take them, and in the second half today, we couldn’t keep up. We needed more goals, and we needed a clean sheet, but it just didn’t happen for us,” Jones said.
Now relegated to League B, Jones emphasized the importance of learning from their mistakes and coming back stronger in the future. “It’s tough, but we have to learn from it. We got relegated, but the aim is to bounce back and push for promotion again,” he added.
Guyana will look to rebuild in the next Nations League cycle in 2025 after a challenging but ultimately unsuccessful campaign in League A.
