Delano Rigters

Delano Lloyd Rigters (born 31 December 1956) is a former Surinamese International football player who played his entire career in Suriname, playing for Voorwaarts, MVV, Robinhood as well as for the Suriname national team. He spent 16 years with Robinhood, finishing as the league top goal scorer four times. He also helped his club win ten national titles, having made it to the CONCACAF Champions' Cup final on three occasions.

Career

Early career Rigters was born in 1956 in the Coronie District, Surinam where he joined local Racing Club Coronie at age 12. As a young child he was already allowed to play matches with the first team, and had won the District championship on a few occasions before moving to the Capital Paramaribo to join the youth ranks of S.V. Voorwaarts. In 1977, he helped Robinhood to the 1977 CONCACAF Champions' Cup final for the second time in a row where they faced Club América from Mexico, losing 2–1 on aggregate score. In 1982, he helped Robinhood back to a second-place finish at the 1982 CONCACAF Champions' Cup where they faced Pumas UNAM from Mexico in the final, losing 3–2 on aggregate score. In 1983 the team were back in the 1983 CONCACAF Champions' Cup finals, where they faced Atlante F.C. from Mexico in the final, losing 6–1 on aggregate score. It was Rigters fifth time in the finals of the competition without lifting the cup.

In July 1986, Rigters travelled to the Netherlands to play friendly matches in pre-season training. Robinhood lost to SBV Excelsior 1–0, and Kleurrijk 2–1, while defeating PEC Zwolle 2–1, and drawing equal with HFC Haarlem 1–1, and FC Volendam 3–3. The final match against Ajax was lost 5–2.

During his tenure with Robinhood, he helped the team win National titles in 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, and was the league top scorer in 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989. His last top scorer award was shared with Maikal Peel with both finishing as joint top scorers that season. He immigrated to the Netherlands in 1990 and is remembered as one of the greatest footballers in the country's history.

Real Sranang After relocating to Amsterdam, Netherlands, Rigters played for Real Sranang in the Vierde Klasse of amateur football in the Netherlands for one season, playing on a team with the likes of Errol Emanuelson, Guno Zorgvol, Ronald Amelo, Jules Polanen and Ryan Bindraba, all former players in Suriname, before he eventually retired from the sport.

International career Rigters played for the Suriname national team for almost the entirety of his professional career, except for a period in 1978 when he was not called up by Dutch manager Rob Groener. He played his first major International tournament in 1977 in Mexico for the country's 1978 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. He made his debut for the first team on 14 November 1976 in a 1–1 draw against Trinidad and Tobago at the National Stadion in Paramaribo. He scored his first goal for the national team on 18 September 1977 against Trinidad and Tobago, scoring the opener in a 2–1 win at home. He also played in the 1986 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, as well as in the 1979 CFU Championship, and the 1990 Caribbean Cup qualification.

Career statistics

International goals Scores and results list Suriname' goal tally first. Goal Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 18 September 1977 National Stadion, Paramaribo, Suriname 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification 2. 8 October 1977 Estadio Universitario, Monterrey, Mexico 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification 3. 15 November 1979 National Stadion, Paramaribo, Suriname 1979 CFU Championship 4. 6 March 1985 Tiburcio Carías Andino, Tegucigalpa, Honduras 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification 5. 29 April 1990 André Kamperveen Stadion, Paramaribo, Suriname 1990 Caribbean Cup qualification

Honours

Club MVV SVB Eerste Klasse (1): 1976

S.V. Robinhood SVB Hoofdklasse (10): 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989 CONCACAF Champions' Cup Runners-up (3): 1977, 1982, 1983

Individual SVB Hoofdklasse Top Goalscorer (4): 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989