These are the only two countries in South America that are not playing in CONMEBOL qualifiers: why? | Sports

Many South American countries are among the best teams in the world, such as Argentina, Brazil or Uruguay. For this reason, CONMEBOL qualifiers are one of the most competitive. In this process, a total of 10 national teams participate, including Peru. But did you know that there are two countries in the region that are not competing in this tournament?

Unlike the South American countries, these two countries compete in the Confederation of North American, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF). Then, we’ll tell you why these teams don’t compete with the rest of the American South.

Which South American countries are not competing in the CONMEBOL qualifiers?

Suriname and Guyana are the only two countries to do so south america Who do not play CONMEBOL tournaments. This includes the World Cup qualifying tournament and other competitions, including the Copa America.

Moreover, unlike their peers, these two areas tend to be the least known in the region, whether on a sporting, touristic or other level. However, geographically they belong to the southern part of America.

Why don’t Suriname and Guyana play in CONMEBOL?

Causes Suriname and Guyana They don’t play in South American Confederation There are three main factors: the level of football of their teams, the language and their independence.

Unlike most South American countries, Spanish is not spoken in both regions. In the first, Dutch is mainly used; While in the second, English.

This is because the territory of Suriname was ruled by the Netherlands; While Guyana belongs to the United Kingdom. The language barrier meant that both countries did not have close relations with the rest of the Spanish-speaking countries.

Likewise, in both regions, football is not the main sport: other disciplines, such as cricket, are usually played. This has led to a lower level of football than the rest of South America.

Guyana and Suriname also stand out for being the last two countries in America to gain independence — in 1966 and 1975, respectively. By that time, countries such as Colombia, Chile or Argentina had already maintained their sovereignty for more than 100 years.

Furthermore, the South American Federation was created in 1961. Thus, at the time of independence of both countries, coordination was already in place and the number of members was determined. For these reasons, Guyana and Suriname today belong to CONCACAF.