Joël Zwarts has caught the attention of Suriname’s national team. The 27-year-old top scorer of CSKA Sofia was approached by the Surinamese football association earlier this month. “Hopefully, a solution will be found.”
Zwarts moved from Lokomotiv Plovdiv to CSKA Sofia last summer and has been scoring freely in the Bulgarian capital. This has not gone unnoticed in Suriname either. Before the home match against Arda Kardzhali, Zwarts’ phone rang; he is eligible for the country through his Surinamese mother.
The former striker of clubs such as Excelsior and ADO Den Haag did not have to think long, but an international debut is not yet on the cards. Due to the uncertainty over the consequences of choosing Suriname, Zwarts remains cautious. Together with his agent, he contacted various authorities, including the IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service).
“I heard that a number of Surinamese players have received letters about surrendering their Dutch nationality,” Zwarts says. “Naturally, you do not want that. Hopefully, a solution will be found.”
