MONTERREY, Mexico - Bolivia overcame a second-half deficit to defeat Suriname 2-1 in their inter-confederation World Cup playoff semi-final Thursday, keeping alive hopes of qualifying for the tournament for the first time since 1994.
Suriname opened the scoring three minutes after halftime when Liam van Gelderen tapped in following a goalmouth scramble caused by goalkeeper Guillermo Viscarra’s failure to clear.
Bolivia equalized in the 72nd minute through substitute Moises Paniagua, who finished from close range after a series of deflections. The comeback was sealed in the 79th minute when Miguel Terceros converted a penalty after Myenty Abena fouled Juan Godoy.
The match drew a heavily Bolivian crowd at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey-a venue slated to host four games in the 2026 World Cup-and was attended by FIFA president Gianni Infantino.