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Leeds striker Piroe set for World Cup chance with Suriname after change of allegiance

RE

Reuters

Published 3 months ago

Leeds United striker Joel Piroe has been ⁠included in Suriname’s squad for this month’s World Cup playoff, just ‌days after FIFA approved a switch of allegiance.

[p]The ‌former Dutch under-19 international was named ‌on Wednesday in a 26-man squad ‌for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/suriname/jefTDM4k/"]Suriname[/a]'s inter-confederation playoff semi-final against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bolivia/nXdi7mbc/"]Bolivia[/a] ‌in Monterrey on March 26. If they win that, they would meet [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/iraq/K8aAGt6r/"]Iraq[/a] ‌at the same venue on March ⁠31 to ‌decide a berth at the World Cup ​in Canada, Mexico and the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/usa/fuitL4CF/"]United States[/a] in June.[/p][p]Suriname are looking ​to qualify for their first-ever World Cup, and their squad is dominated by ⁠Dutch-born players ​with roots in the South American former colony.[/p][p]It will be the first match for Henk ten Cate as coach after ‌Stanley Menzo quit when Suriname failed to qualify directly in November’s Concacaf preliminaries.[/p][p]The playoff winners will go into Group I at the World Cup, where they will face former world champions [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/france/QkGeVG1n/"]France[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/norway/8rP6JO0H/"]Norway[/a], and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/senegal/hOIsJLJr/"]Senegal[/a].[/p][p]After a strong season with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/leeds/tUxUbLR2/"]Leeds[/a] in the Championship ‌last campaign, when he scored 19 ​goals, the 26-year-old [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/piroe-joel/dUHjDCt9/"]Piroe[/a] had hoped ‌to earn a call-up to the Dutch national side, media reports said, but when that did not happen, he switched his footballing nationality. His ⁠father is from ⁠Suriname.[/p]

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