Former Suriname vice president Ronnie Brunswijk scored his first goal in his country's top flight at the age of 65 on Saturday after naming himself in the Inter Moengotapoe line-up. He converted in a 5-0 league win over bottom-placed Politie Voetbal Vrienden.
The goal on Saturday
Brunswijk scored from a second-half penalty as Inter Moengotapoe beat Politie Voetbal Vrienden 5-0. His side were already 4-0 ahead when they were awarded the spot-kick, and he opened his account in the Suriname Major League by slotting home from 12 yards.
Club and league details
Inter Moengotapoe play their home fixtures at the Ronnie Brunswijk Stadium. Saturday's goal was the first time Brunswijk had scored since the Suriname Major League was established in 2024, and the competition was launched with direct backing from FIFA. With the win over PVV, Moengotapoe remained unbeaten after the opening three rounds of the domestic season.
Brunswijk's background
Brunswijk held office as the Vice President of Suriname between 2020 and 2025 and regularly selected himself to play competitive matches for his club while serving in government. In 2021, at the age of 60, he featured in a CONCACAF League fixture against CD Olimpia, which ended in a 6-0 defeat for his team.
2021 incident and court sentence
After that match, video footage surfaced appearing to show Brunswijk handing out cash inside the opposition dressing room. CONCACAF investigated that incident, expelled both clubs from the tournament and gave Brunswijk a three-year ban. In 1999, a court in the Netherlands sentenced Brunswijk in absentia to eight years in prison for cocaine trafficking, and no extradition treaty exists between the Dutch authorities and Suriname, so he has never served that custodial sentence.
