Suriname coach Stanley Menzo has surprisingly quit after their failure to secure direct World Cup qualification last month but ahead of the March playoffs where they still have a chance to claim their first-ever place at the finals.

Ex-Netherlands goalkeeper Menzo announced his resignation on Sunday after Suriname’s loss to Guatemala in their last group game in November saw them cede top spot to Panama, who qualified instead for the 2026 finals in Canada, Mexico and the U.S.

However Suriname, thanks to a fortuitous last-gasp own goal, qualified for the March inter-confederation playoffs as one of the two best runners-up from the three groups in the Concacaf zone and will play Bolivia in the playoff semi-final in Mexico.

The winners will face Iraq for a place at the finals.

“I am immensely proud of what we have achieved together, and it has been a great honour for me to be part of this extraordinary journey,” said Menzo, 62, in a statement.

“Nevertheless, I believe that taking a step back is the right decision at this time.

“I sincerely wish the players, staff and board much happiness, strength and success as they take this final decisive step in March. This comes from the bottom of my heart.”

After defeat by Guatemala, Menzo was subjected to a storm of criticism from the Surinamese press and fans, who had previously been full of praise for the former Ajax Amsterdam player.

Suriname have benefited from a change in nationality laws which has allowed many Dutch footballers with links to the South American country to play for the team in World Cup qualification and give them a much better chance of qualifying.

-Reuters

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Côte d’Ivoire head coach Emerse Fae says the Elephants are not travelling to the 2026 FIFA World Cup “for a holiday,” insisting his team is determined to make history as they return to the global showpiece for the first time since Brazil 2014.

In an interview with FIFA’s online platform, the 41-year-old tactician reflected on his side’s flawless qualifying campaign, their ambitions for AFCON 2025 in Morocco, and the challenge of competing against the world’s best in North America next year.

Fae, who guided the Ivorians to a dominant qualifying performance—eight wins, two draws, 25 goals scored, and none conceded—believes expectations are rightfully rising following the team’s resurgence.

“We aren’t going to the World Cup for a holiday,” he said. “We’re thrilled to have qualified, but that wasn’t the end goal. We want to prove that Côte d’Ivoire are capable of making history on the biggest stage.”

With the World Cup draw set for Friday, the Elephants’ return comes after back-to-back absences in 2018 and 2022. Fae admitted that missing out again would have been “a terrible failure,” especially with nine African slots now available under the expanded 48-team format.

The Ivorians’ qualifying run was one of the most commanding in the world. Not only did they remain unbeaten, they also did not concede a single goal across ten matches.

Despite having 15 different goalscorers, Fae says he is comfortable without a single talisman leading the line.

“Whether it’s a centre-forward, midfielder or defender getting on the scoresheet is neither here nor there,” he noted. “Spreading the goals around is a real strength. It allows us to be unpredictable and gives us many players who can step in during a long tournament.”

He added that the level of competition within the squad will be instrumental as they prepare for both AFCON 2025 and the World Cup.

Fae also spoke candidly about missing the 2010 World Cup as a player, calling it “a bitter pill to swallow.”

“I never digested it,” he said of his omission from Sven-Goran Eriksson’s squad. “I felt it was unfair.”

That experience, he explained, now guides his own approach to player selection.

“The players know tough choices must be made, but we’ll be as fair as possible. We won’t select someone in the third tier ahead of a competitor in a major league.”

He stressed that he will not take extra players to the final camp only to drop them at the last minute, saying he does not want any player to endure the emotional pain he once felt.

Dual mission: defend AFCON title, then attack the World Cup

Before North America 2026, Côte d’Ivoire face the immediate task of defending their continental crown in Morocco this December and January.

“We want to reclaim the trophy by the end,” Fae said. “We’ll go into the AFCON as holders, and every team will want to knock us off our perch.”

Yet even with AFCON looming, the coach is clear that Côte d’Ivoire’s global ambitions extend further.

“African football is capable of taking its place at the same table as Europe and South America,” he said. “Morocco showed that in 2022. We don’t just want to talk about matching them—we want to emulate what they achieved.”

Fae, who led the Elephants to a dramatic and improbable home triumph at AFCON 2023, says the emotions of that tournament will not be replicated.

“The circumstances were exceptional,” he admitted. “It won’t be comparable to what we lived through at home. But we’ll do everything to make sure it’s a positive experience.”

With Côte d’Ivoire back on the global stage and under the guidance of a coach unafraid to dream big, the African champions are preparing not just to participate—but to challenge the world’s elite once again.

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Iran intends to boycott next week’s World Cup draw due to the limited number of visas allocated to the country’s football federation.

According to the Tehran Times, the United States issued visas to only four members of Iran’s delegation, with requests for three additional visas denied, including one for Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) President Mehdi Taj.

“We have informed FIFA that the decisions taken are unrelated to sport and that the members of the Iranian delegation will not participate in the World Cup draw,” FFIRI spokesman Mehdi Alavi said on Friday, per the report.

Alavi said the federation has been in contact with FIFA in an effort to resolve the situation.

The World Cup draw will take place on Dec. 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

The expanded 48-team World Cup is being hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Matches will be played at 16 venues, including three in Mexico and two in Canada.

The draw will sort the teams into 12 groups of four. The top two teams from each group and the eight best third-place teams will advance to the knockout stage.

Iran has secured a spot in its fourth consecutive World Cup and seventh appearance overall.

-Reuters

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