Vaca: The Bolivia fans were key
Moises Paniagua, Miguel Terceros and Ramiro Vaca discuss Bolivia’s comeback victory over Suriname in the FIFA Play-Off Tournament semi-finals.
Bolivia’s FIFA World Cup 2026™ qualifying road hasn’t been easy, so it was only normal to see them have to overcome another hurdle in their 2-1 Play-Off Tournament semi-final victory against Suriname.
Staring at a second-half deficit, La Verde dug deep, and just like in CONMEBOL qualifying, finished strong to move one step closer to their first global finals since USA 1994.
“It was our attitude that allowed us to make a comeback, the conviction that we had to win this match,” Ramiro Vaca told FIFA. “Also, for us, the support from the fans was big. We didn’t expect to have so many Bolivian people here today, so I think the support of the fans was key, as well as the clear ideas we had. My thanks to the coaching staff, who did a spectacular job.”
Things still hung in the balance going into the final quarter-hour, with the score locked at 1-1. Miguel Terceros stood over the penalty of his life, a scene reminiscent of Bolivia’s qualifying finale in which his conversion from the spot earned them an epic 1-0 triumph and a place in the play-offs. Terceros never wavered, delivering what he called justice for a side that has remained close-knit and worked arduously to reach this point.
“I feel happiness because it’s something that I’ve been working on a lot, to be prepared for our chances,” said Terceros. “I’m so happy because Bolivia deserved the victory. We just kept plugging away. I think [Suriname] had studied us well, because we weren’t able to play our game, but in the end [we won] because we kept after it.”
The genesis of the Bolivia comeback was the entrance of Moises Paniagua in the 59th minute, with the team down 1-0. Oscar Villegas’s charges began to turn the screw, and it was Paniagua who broke through for the crucial equaliser.
“I’m so happy about my goal and the team,” said Paniagua. “The coach was always encouraging us. I think we knew that we could win because we realised that, on the pitch, we were the better team. “It was important to not get down. We all deserve it. There is one step to go, but we are in good shape to get it done.”
Terceros echoed his team-mate, remarking that Villegas’s message in the half-time dressing room, and then again after going down in the second half, was that the cohesion of the Bolivia squad would pull them through.
“The coach has been talking a lot about not letting go of the team unity that we have,” said Terceros. “We knew that in the most difficult moments, we could go forward thanks to that.”