Henk Fraser condemns racism after Guatemala‑Suriname clash sparks outrage

Suriname coach Henk Fraser has demanded that the racist abuse directed at his players during the Nations League encounter with Guatemala be punished, after the match erupted into disorder and ended in a 1‑0 defeat for Suriname in injury time.

Incident and immediate reaction

The game between Guatemala and Suriname "loopt helemaal uit de hand", as described by the match report, with spectators making monkey noises and a red card being shown to a Surinamese player who was provoked. The incident prompted a formal protest lodged with CONCACAF, which has yet to issue a decision.

Fraser, pictured on the right, was photographed by Moises Castillo of ANP/EPA. He said, “Ik was en ben zelf nul-gevoelig voor de geluiden en beledigingen. Ik vind natuurlijk ook dat het helemaal niet kan. Er werd gediscrimineerd, dat was voor iedereen duidelijk.”

Calls for accountability

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has publicly expressed support for Suriname, but no disciplinary action has been taken against Guatemala or any individual involved. Fraser criticised the lack of concrete measures, noting that FIFA and UEFA run anti‑racism campaigns yet “in practice it simply is not enough”.

He added, “Om wat er in Guatemala is gebeurd, hebben wij een protest ingediend”, and warned that CONCACAF will likely hand out suspensions. “There were also players from Guatemala who spoke shamefully about what was shouted from the stands,” Fraser said, highlighting that some Guatemalan players also condemned the chants.

Fraser recalled a similar episode against El Salvador that resulted in a fine, and stressed that Suriname, as a relatively small football nation, expects real consequences. “The victim was punished while the perpetrators were not,” he argued, urging the governing bodies to act.

Richonell Margaret of Go Ahead Eagles, who was targeted by the crowd, posted on Instagram that the entire stadium directed monkey noises at him and his teammates, questioning whether such abuse should be tolerated. Fraser expressed empathy, stating that he does not blame the players who reacted and that “fair play is not only for big nations”.

With the protest still pending, Fraser hopes that the involvement of high‑profile Surinamese‑born football legends such as Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, Clarence Seedorf and Patrick Kluivert will keep the issue on the agenda, as Gianni Infantino has reaffirmed his backing for Suriname.