Suriname missed the opportunity to immediately qualify for their first-ever FIFA World Cup after a 3-1 defeat to Guatemala in their last CONCACAF qualifier, after which manager Stanley Menzo resigned due to "personal reasons."
Former Ajax manager Henk ten Cate took over from Menzo and is now managing the country of his parents, who brought him up in Amsterdam.
"My mother was born there (in Suriname), and I have a lot of family there. As a child, I grew up in a typical Surinamese family in Amsterdam, with all the norms and values that go with it," Ten Cate told Algemeen Dagblad. "Combined with Dutch culture, I think I've made a nice mix for myself."
After Menzo resigned, Ten Cate got the call from the SVB, the Surinamese FA. The 72-year-old said he made an informed decision about whether or not he'd become their next manager.
"First, by calling Stanley Menzo himself. That was a very good conversation. Then I wanted to get a clear picture of the possibilities: I wanted to be able to put together a strong staff. I succeeded in doing that - with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Winston Bogarde, among others, I have great assistants. I also think the rest of the staff is of a very high calibre."
Intercontinental play-offs
Suriname still has a chance to make their first-ever FIFA World Cup finals, but will have to qualify via the intercontinental play-offs in March. Bolivia will be the opponent in Mexico City - a favourable location, Ten Cate says.
"It means we don't have to play at altitude in Bolivia. I firmly believe in our chances. Otherwise, I wouldn't have taken on the job."
It still won't be easy for Suriname: "Because many of our players are still playing for their clubs on the Sunday before, they can't fly to Mexico until Monday. In addition, given the time difference, we will have to acclimatise, which means we will only have two real training days. Still, I am optimistic. I am in contact with my assistants almost every day via video calls. I have also spoken extensively with many of the players."
"They (Bolivia) are quite strong at home, where they have beaten Brazil, for example. But they don't win very often in away matches," Ten Cate added.
Ten Cate recalls that the conditions around Suriname's final qualifier against Guatemala weren't ideal for the team - something he's now happy to avoid by playing in a neutral venue rather than in La Paz, the Bolivian capital at an altitude of 3,650m (11,986 feet).
"The accommodations there were apparently ter-ri-ble, especially the training and games pitches, which were in very poor condition," Ten Cate said about Guatemala.
"The lighting was inadequate, and on top of that, the matches had to be played at high altitude. Those people did everything they could to make life difficult for Suriname. The altitude also proved to be a real problem during the matches themselves: many of the players were already short of breath after twenty minutes."
Dutch success and hopes
Suriname, like Curaçao, is a team made from a majority of Dutch players, with both countries having (had) close ties to the football powerhouse. After naturalising a host of Dutch players, Ten Cate is currently still working on two names.
"We are currently awaiting the outcome of the case involving Danilho Doekhi of Union Berlin. He is eager to join us, but FIFA must approve because he previously played for the Dutch youth teams. We have therefore taken the matter to the CAS, but hopefully we will be able to reach a solution sooner. Javairo Dilrosun is also very keen to join us. When he was about eighteen, he played once as a substitute for the Dutch national team. Hopefully, we'll get him on board, too."
In addition to Doekhi and Dilrosun, Ten Cate secretly hopes to persuade West Ham star Crysencio Summerville, who's yet to make his Oranje debut, to pick Suriname over the Netherlands. His excellent recent form will have earned him some attention from Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman, but Ten Cate remains hopeful.
"I understand that too. It's not just Summerville, but many lads who are now roughly between 22 and 24 years old who are weighing up this decision. In terms of salary alone, it can make a big difference if you have “Netherlands” after your name. Crysencio is playing excellently at the moment, but I am not responsible for selecting the Dutch squad; that is up to Ronald. We will have to wait and see: if we qualify for the World Cup, that may open new doors.
Attending the World Cup as a tourist
Before getting the call from Suriname, Ten Cate spent a year as the assistant manager to Aron Winter in 2023. A six-month stint at Emirati club Al-Wahda in 2021 was Ten Cate's last full-time adventure in the managerial world.
Even if the chance to manage Suriname wouldn't have come round, Ten Cate would've attended the World Cup, he says.
"If Suriname had achieved a result in that last match against Guatemala, I would have simply gone to America as a tourist. As a supporter of Suriname and the Dutch national team."
Suriname play Bolivia in the intercontinental play-off for the FIFA World Cup on March 26th. If Suriname win, they'll face Iraq in the final.