PARAMARIBO, Dec 14 : Veteran Henk ten Cate has been appointed the new coach of Suriname as they look ahead to the World Cup playoffs in March, the country’s football association said on Sunday.

Ten Cate, 71, is a former coach of Ajax Amsterdam and has worked as an assistant at Barcelona and Chelsea.

The Dutchman will take charge of Suriname's bid to qualify for a first-ever World Cup when they meet Bolivia in a play-off match in Monterrey on March 26. If they win that match, they will meet Iraq on March 31 to decide a place at the 2026 finals, going into Group I with France, Norway and Senegal and playing their matches in Boston, Philadelphia and Toronto.

Suriname had the opportunity to qualify automatically last month but a 3-1 loss in the last Concacaf zone Group A tie at Guatemala sa

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