San Diego, CA - In a thrilling back-and-forth encounter at Snapdragon Stadium, Suriname took a 3-2 lead against Costa Rica in their 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup Group A match, thanks to a penalty scored by Shaquille Pinas. The penalty was awarded after a handball inside the box by a Costa Rican player.
The match, held on June 16, 2025, saw Costa Rica initially take control, with Alonso Martínez scoring in the 13th minute. Manfred Ugalde then converted a penalty in the 19th minute, extending Costa Rica's lead to 2-0. However, Suriname fought back, with Gyrano Kerk scoring to reduce the deficit.
The game continued to be a tense affair, with both teams creating opportunities. A handball by a Costa Rican player led to the referee awarding a penalty to Suriname. Shaquille Pinas stepped up and calmly converted the spot-kick, giving Suriname the lead and sending their fans into jubilation.
Shaquille Pinas, born on March 19, 1998, is a Surinamese professional footballer who also holds Dutch citizenship. He plays as a center-back or left-back for Hammarby IF in the Swedish Allsvenskan. Pinas made his debut for the Suriname national team on March 24, 2021, in a World Cup qualifier against the Cayman Islands, where he also scored his first international goal. Prior to representing Suriname, Pinas played for the Netherlands U20 team.
The 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup features teams from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Costa Rica and Suriname are in Group A, alongside Mexico and the Dominican Republic. This edition marks Suriname's second appearance in the tournament, while Costa Rica has been a regular participant, even winning the competition in 1989.
The final round of the Concacaf Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2026 will feature the group winners and runners-up (12 teams in total) of the Second Round, divided into three groups of four teams each. These matches will be played during the September, October, and November 2025 FIFA Match Windows. Following the completion of the Final Round, the three group winners will qualify directly for the FIFA World Cup 2026, joining hosts Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Additionally, the two best runners-up will represent Concacaf in the FIFA Play-Off Tournament. For the first time, the Concacaf region could have up to eight teams at the FIFA World Cup.
