Suriname Report Racist Abuse in Guatemala as Concacaf Opens Investigation

Suriname have called on Concacaf and FIFA to act after alleging their players suffered racist abuse from supporters during Monday's Concacaf Nations League match against Guatemala in Guatemala City. The flashpoint came in the 63rd minute, when forward Richonell Margaret was shown a direct red card after appearing to respond to a supporter. Margaret said afterwards that "the entire stadium" was making monkey noises towards him and his teammates. The dismissal triggered a delay of almost ten minutes while Suriname officials spoke with referee Joe Dickerson, who was seen making FIFA's crossed-arms "no racism" gesture during discussions with captain Myenty Abena. With around 20 minutes remaining and down to ten men, Abena and the squad chose to continue the match rather than walk off. Guatemala went on to win 1-0 thanks to a stoppage-time winner from California-born Matthew Evans, a result that sent Los Chapines into the Nations League quarter-finals and eliminated Suriname. Concacaf confirmed on Tuesday morning that it is investigating the allegations under its disciplinary procedures. FIFA president Gianni Infantino also issued a statement backing the Surinamese federation, calling the reported abuse "absolutely unacceptable." It is the second time Suriname have reported such treatment in Central America, following an incident in El Salvador last year during World Cup qualifying that ended with FIFA fining the Salvadoran federation. General manager Brian Tevreden said he is now considering whether the team should keep travelling to venues where abuse is tolerated.