WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao will face Panama in the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Nations League after Dick Advocaat's team secured its place among the final eight following a strong group-stage campaign.
The quarterfinals will be played over two legs between November 9 and 17, with Curaçao playing one match at home and the other away.
Panama was one of four countries that qualified directly for the quarterfinal stage. On the latest official FIFA World Ranking, published July 20, Panama is ranked 44th in the world, while Curaçao occupies 82nd place. A new ranking is scheduled to be released on October 7. Panama's highest-ever position in the FIFA ranking was 29th.
Despite the difference in the rankings, previous encounters between Curaçao and Panama have been relatively close.
The countries met twice during World Cup qualifying in 2021. Panama won the first match at home 2-1 before Curaçao held the Central American side to a 0-0 draw at Hato. Panama advanced 2-1 on aggregate.
Their most recent meeting came in the Nations League in October 2023. Panama again emerged victorious, winning 2-1. Rangelo Janga scored for Curaçao late in the match, but the national team was unable to find an equalizer.
Curaçao reached this year's quarterfinals following an impressive group stage that included victories over Costa Rica and Nicaragua, a home win over Trinidad and Tobago and a 1-1 draw against Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain. Those results allowed Curaçao to finish among the top two teams in its group.
The two matches against Panama will now determine whether Curaçao can advance to the Nations League semifinals.
Suriname, meanwhile, narrowly missed out on a place in the quarterfinals. The team coached by Henk Fraser needed only a draw against Guatemala but conceded in the sixth minute of stoppage time to lose 1-0. Substitute Matthew Evans scored the decisive goal with a long-range strike, leaving Suriname third in the group and eliminated from the competition.
The match could have further consequences following allegations of racist abuse from the stands. Suriname captain Myenty Abena said players were subjected to racist behavior throughout the match, while general director Brian Tevreden reported hearing monkey noises from spectators. According to the Surinamese federation, the match was not stopped and Concacaf's anti-discrimination protocol was not implemented.
Tensions escalated after the final whistle when players and staff from both teams became involved in an altercation. Suriname goalkeeper Etienne Vaessen was also involved in the disturbances.
Concacaf is expected to review the incidents surrounding the match in Guatemala.