Two Lilies on an international mission

For Jean-Paul Boëtius and the Suriname national team, crucial days lie ahead. Days that could bring a historic milestone. For the first time in their history, the team has the chance to qualify for a FIFA World Cup. The starting position is promising: The SV 98 number ten already played a key role in their success during the last international break.

In the first match against Guatemala, Boëtius provided the assist for the equaliser in stoppage time, making it 1-1. This secured Suriname a point, ensuring that despite a draw in their subsequent match, they remain at the top of the group. However, the situation remains incredibly tight: Panama is level on points with six and an identical goal difference, making them their closest pursuer. Guatemala (5 points) is also close behind, while El Salvador sits at the bottom of the table with three points.

The group winners of this final qualifying round qualify directly for the World Cup finals, while the two best-placed runners-up advance to the FIFA playoff tournament.

Now, the two final matches of this qualifying phase are upon us: On Thursday (November 13, 11pm CET), Suriname hosts El Salvador at the Franklin Essed Stadium. Even a victory, however, would not guarantee qualification. All eyes are therefore on the second and likely decisive match on Wednesday (November 19, 2am CET) at the Estadio Manuel Felipe Carrera in Guatemala.

Boëtius and Suriname have a historic opportunity to secure World Cup qualification for the first time, and they can do so on their own merit despite the tight standings.

Isac Lidberg has once again been called up to the Swedish national team. After the forward first joined the „Tre Kronor“ (Three Crowns) in November 2024, he is now in the squad for the second consecutive season.

However, Sweden’s qualification for the World Cup is in serious jeopardy. With only one point from four games, Graham Potter’s team, who took over on October 20th, needs help from their rivals. Switzerland leads the group with ten points, Kosovo follows in second place with seven, and Slovenia sits in third with three.

The winners of each group qualify directly for the World Cup, while the runners-up have the chance to secure a ticket via the UEFA playoff tournament. With a nine-point deficit to Switzerland, Sweden can no longer qualify directly and must rely on the playoff route. The new man on the sidelines is now tasked with making this minor miracle happen.

This coming Saturday (November 15th, 8:45pm), they face Switzerland at the Stade de Genève in Geneva. Only a victory against the group leaders, coupled with a Slovenian win against Kosovo, will give Sweden a chance to advance on the final matchday – Tuesday (November 18th, 8:45pm) against Slovenia at their home ground, the Friends Arena in Solna. If Sweden wins that match as well, Switzerland would need to win their parallel game against Kosovo for Lidberg and his Swedish team to secure second place and thus a spot in the playoff tournament.