Bolivia beats Suriname and Jamaica edges New Caledonia to reach World Cup playoff finals

MONTERREY, Mexico — Moises Paniagua and Miguel Terceros scored goals within a seven-minute span in the second half, and Bolivia rallied to beat Suriname 2-1 on Thursday to qualify for the final of the World Cup qualifying playoff against Iraq.

In another match Thursday, Wrexham striker Bailey Cadamarteri scored a first-half goal, giving Jamaica a 1-0 victory over New Caledonia and a place in the international playoff final against Congo.

Liam Van Gelderen put Suriname ahead in the 48th minute but Paniagua tied the score at the 72nd and Terceros had the winning goal on a penalty kick in the 79th minute for the Bolivians, who are aiming for their second World Cup appearance.

“I want to highlight the players’ character in never giving up; it’s a team that never considers anything lost and that today knew how to pull through,” said Bolivia’s coach Oscar Villegas.

Juan Godoy came off the bench in the 74th and five minutes later was tripped by Leo Abena inside the box for the penalty that the 21-year-old Terceros converted to the left side of goalkeeper Etienne Vaessen.

“The winning goal reflects the work I’ve done, but without the team nothing is possible. We have to keep working because we’re just one step away,” Terceros said.

The Bolivians have only previously played in the 1994 World Cup in the United States. Suriname was looking to qualify for the first time.

Bolivia, which finished in seventh place in the CONMEBOL qualifiers, will play Iraq next Tuesday in Monterrey. The winner will qualify for Group I with France, Norway and Senegal.

The Reggae Boyz inch closer

Cadamarteri netted the winning goal in the 18th minute for Jamaica, securing the victory for the Reggae Boyz, who have only one World Cup appearance — at France in 1998. New Caledonia, from Oceania, saw its chance to advance to a first World Cup end.

Jamaica, which finished second in their group in the CONCACAF qualifiers, will face Congo next Tuesday at Akron stadium in Guadalajara. Congo qualified for the playoff by defeating Nigeria in an African playoff.

The winner in Guadalajara will play in Group K in the tournament to join Colombia, Portugal and Uzbekistan.

Infantino is in Mexico

FIFA President Gianni Infantino attended both the Monterrey and Guadalajara stadiums to watch the two playoff matches.

This weekend, the head of world football’s governing body is scheduled to visit the newly renovated Azteca stadium for a friendly match between Mexico and Portugal.