These 2 countries were the last independent countries in America. Photo: Composite LR/ESPN/Concacaf
Many South American countries, such as Argentina, Brazil or Uruguay, are among the best teams in the world. For this reason, Conmebol qualifications are one of the most competitive. A total of 10 national teams are participating in this process, including Peru. But did you know that there are two countries in the region that are not participating in this tournament?
Unlike the South American countries, these two countries compete in the North American, Central American and Caribbean Football Confederation (Concacaf). Next, we’ll tell you the reasons why these teams don’t compete with the rest of the US South.
Which South American countries did not compete in Conmebol qualifiers?
The only countries with Suriname and Guyana South America Non-players in CONMEBOL competitions. This includes both the World Cup qualifying championship and its other tournaments, including the Copa America.
Also, unlike their counterparts, these two territories are less known in the region on sports, tourism or other levels. However, geographically they belong to the southern part of the United States.
Why don’t Suriname and Guyana play in CONMEBOL?
Suriname and its causes Guyana They don’t play Conmebol There are mainly three: the footballing status of their teams, the language and their independence.
Unlike most South American countries, Spanish is not spoken in either region. At first, Dutch is mainly used; Second, English.
The Guyana national team plays in Concacaf. Photo: ESPN
Because the territory of Suriname was ruled by the Netherlands; While Guyana, United Kingdom. The language barrier means that neither country has close ties to other Spanish-speaking countries.
Likewise, in both territories, football is not the state sport: other disciplines such as cricket are routinely practiced. This led to the level of football being lower than in other South American countries.
Suriname is one of only two countries in South America not to play in Conmebol qualifiers. Photo: Concacaf
Guyana and Suriname are the last countries to gain independence in America – 1966 and 1975 respectively. By then, countries like Colombia, Chile or Argentina had already achieved their sovereignty for more than 100 years.
Also, Conmebol was formed in 1961. Therefore, by the time both countries gained independence, a format was already in place and the number of members was limited. For these reasons, Guyana and Suriname today belong to CONCACAF.
How many languages are spoken in Suriname?
The official language of Suriname is Dutch, which joined the Dutch Language Union in 2004 and is the first language of 46.6% of the population. Sranang Tongo is the second language, spoken by 37% of the population. Spanish and English are also spoken. For commercial reasons, there is a presence of Portuguese speakers, and descendants of Chinese, Indians, and Javanese maintain their ancestral languages. Finally, there are tribes that speak their own languages.
