Gold Cup 2025! And a Lily is there. Jean-Paul Boëtius will be participating in the continental championship for North, Central America, and the Caribbean with Suriname—the birthplace of his parents. We spoke with him before the first group match against Costa Rica (June 16th, 5am German time) about this very match, the tournament, and a football-mad Suriname.
sv98.de: Djanga, you made your debut for Suriname against El Salvador. Can you briefly explain how you came to play for the Suriname national team?
Jean-Paul Boëtius: My parents were born and raised in Suriname. Later, they moved to the Netherlands, where I was born and raised. Accordingly, I played for the Netherlands as a youth player and later even played a game for the senior national team. Of course, it was my dream back then to play more games for the Netherlands. But that’s how it is sometimes in life… In 2018, I spoke to the Surinamese FA for the first time, but I wasn’t 100 percent sure about it at the time. Now – six or seven years later – I could say „yes“ with complete conviction. I’m very proud to now play for the Suriname national team.
How did the first international match feel?
Suriname’s first international match was very, very nice. The atmosphere in the stadium was completely different from a league match in Germany, but it was still great. Thanks again to the fans. For me personally, it was my first competitive match in weeks, as I unfortunately missed the last two matches against Darmstadt due to injury. But I feel good again, I’m fit, and I gave everything for my country – and I think I also played a good game in the defensive midfield position (smiles). With the 1-1 draw against El Salvador, we’re still top of our World Cup qualifying group, which was important.
Is Suriname a football-mad country? Have you received a lot of messages and reactions?
Suriname is a very football-mad country. The country doesn’t have many inhabitants, only around 600,000. But Suriname is very proud, as you could see at our home games. Of course, I received reactions and messages. But it hasn’t reached the same proportions as, for example, in Indonesia, where you suddenly have a million new followers (laughs).
Now the Gold Cup awaits you, essentially the European Championship for North, Central America, and the Caribbean. How excited are you and the team?
We’re really looking forward to the Gold Cup. Suriname hasn’t participated in this tournament that often. Accordingly, we and the entire country are very proud to be participating in the Gold Cup. We hope we make it through the group stage well.
You’re playing in San Diego and then two games in the massive AT&T Stadium, usually home to the Dallas Cowboys. It should be something special.
The stadium in Dallas is huge, that’s true. I know it from the NFL. When we play against Mexico there, you can expect the stadium to be sold out. I’m looking forward to it. Of course, I’ve played in big stadiums before, but this will certainly be a different story.
Your opponents in the preliminary round are Costa Rica, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. Sounds like a tough group. How do you see your opponents and how do you rate your chances?
We’re in a difficult group, where Mexico is obviously the favourite. Costa Rica is also a strong opponent, and the Dominican Republic shouldn’t be underestimated either. Both Costa Rica and we are a good team with good players. We’ll face them in our first game, which will be a very important one. I think the match with Costa Rica, in particular, will be very decisive for the rest of the group stage.
Thanks for the interview, Djanga. We wish you much success at the Gold Cup!
Returning to southern Hesse empty-handed, SV Darmstadt 98 suffered a 3-2 away defeat against Greuther Fürth. Particularly bitter: the Lilies twice took the lead in Franconia but ultimately succumbed. How do the two head coaches assess the 90 minutes? What do captain Marcel Schuhen and Kai Klefisch have to say about the loss? We've compiled all the post-match reactions for you.
No points in Franconia. After conceding two late goals, Darmstadt 98 lost 3-2 (1-1) to SpVgg Greuther Fürth.
Away game in Franconia. On matchday 30 (April 19th/1:30pm), Darmstadt 98 will visit SpVgg Greuther Fürth. Florian Kohfeldt has made three changes to his starting eleven compared to last week. Isac Lidberg and Kai Klefisch return to the team after serving their suspensions, and Marco Richter also moves into the starting lineup. Matthias Bader will miss the match with a minor shoulder problem.
Darmstadt 98 travel to Greuther Fürth for Matchday 30. On Sunday (April 19th, 1:30pm), Greuther Fürth will host SV Darmstadt 98 at the Sportpark Ronhof. You can find the opinions of both coaches, the refereeing team, and the TV broadcast details for Sunday midday here. As usual, we've summarised all the important information about the match against Greuther Fürth in our "Matchday Guide" overview.
How does Florian Kohfeldt view his team's away record ahead of Sunday's match against SpVgg Greuther Fürth? How does he assess the Cloverleaf's defence, and what is the mood within the team? The Darmstadt head coach answered these and other questions at the press conference on Friday before the game in Fürth (April 19th, 1:30pm). We have summarised the most important statements from our head coach's press conference for you.
On Sunday (April 19th/1:30pm), Darmstadt 98 will play away against Greuther Fürth. To ensure you are fully prepared for the away match against the Cloverleaf, we have compiled all the important information for your visit to the stadium.
It was the sixth matchday of the 2017/18 season, a sunny Sunday in September, and the second division fixture between SpVgg Greuther Fürth and Fortuna Düsseldorf was on the schedule. With Florian Neuhaus, Friedhelm Funkel, and Serdar Dursun on or off the pitch, the duel ended 3-1 for Fürth – thanks in part to a brace from Dursun. At first glance, probably just a typical second division victory. But historically significant and unforgettable for everyone in Fürth.
Greuther Fürth hosts Darmstadt. SV Darmstadt 98 will visit SpVgg Greuther Fürth on Sunday (April 19th). Kick-off in Franconia is at 1:30 pm. Can the team from southern Hesse continue their winning streak against Fürth? And will Florian Kohfeldt and Isac Lidberg continue their winning streaks against Greuther Fürth? As usual, we've compiled the most important facts and figures about the match for you in our Top Facts.
From the early 1980s, he was active in the service of SV Darmstadt 98 for almost four decades: We Lilies congratulate the former team doctor of SVD, Dr. Michael Weingart, most sincerely on his 75th birthday this Wednesday (April 15th)!
There are five games left in the season, meaning a total of 15 points are still up for grabs. But Darmstadt's focus is entirely on Sunday's match (April 19th, 1:30pm) against Greuther Fürth. From the media briefing with Fabian Nürnberger, from the hockey pitch to San Antonio: We report on all these topics and many more. As usual, you can find all the latest news from SV 98's club life here in our weekly column "Lilies Across the Board."
SV 98 mourns the loss of its former player Roger Prinzen, who passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Monday evening (April 13th) at the age of 57.
The long wait for a point is over! After four consecutive defeats, SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team finally secured some points. On their home turf, the young Lilies drew 1-1 against TSV Eintracht Stadtallendorf last Saturday (April 11th). Looking at the league table, it was clear even before the match that it wouldn't be easy, as a full ten places separated the two teams in the LOTTO Hessenliga standings. However, the Lilies' U21 team remained evenly matched with the seventh-placed side and collected a crucial home point.