Bolivia pull off comeback against Suriname to meet Iraq for spot in World Cup

Bolivia entered as pre-match favourites and controlled the ball effectively in the early stages, yet they had little to show for their dominance after the first 15 minutes. Still, La Verde almost capitalised on their possession advantage when they came close to scoring the first goal around the 22-minute mark.

With ample time and space to unleash a powerful shot from beyond the box, Roberto Fernandez forced a sharp save from Etienne Vaessen, who somehow tipped the ball onto the post.

That impressive save by Vaessen nearly paid off soon afterwards, although Joel Piroe wasted a golden opportunity by blasting his one-on-one chance over the bar despite being unmarked. The Leeds United forward missed out, but Myenty Abena appeared to make amends with a shot from point-blank range.

To the surprise of the Suriname defender, however, Guillermo Viscarra made a remarkable stop right on the line to maintain the scoreless draw heading into half-time.

That said, Viscarra could do nothing to stop Suriname from going ahead just three minutes into the second half. After a scramble in the penalty area, Liam van Gelderen reacted quickest to nudge the ball beyond Bolivia's goalkeeper, sparking joyous scenes among his celebrating colleagues.

Desperate to find a way back and at least push the game into extra time, Bolivia tested Vaessen once more past the hour, as Miguel Terceros drove a routine shot directly at the Groningen keeper.

Yet Terceros's disappointment soon gave way to delight in the 72nd minute when substitute Moises Paniagua prodded the ball into the far corner. Incredibly, Bolivia completed the turnaround eight minutes later after Abena's mistimed challenge on replacement Juan Godoy led to Terceros slotting home the decisive penalty.

This dramatic win positions Bolivia just one match from qualifying for their first World Cup finals in more than 30 years, following their participation in the 1994 tournament in the United States.

Meanwhile, Suriname must now bide their time for at least four more years before pursuing their debut at the sport's highest stage once again.