Guinea aim to upset their more fancied Group C opponents

Guinea out to cause an upset against their more fancied Group C opponents

Finalists in 1976, Guinea hopes to reconnect with its glorious past
The Guineans are in Group C with Senegal, Gambia and Cameroon
They kick off their campaign against Cameroon on 15 January

After getting to the quarterfinals during the 2021 edition, Guinea is looking to go further in next month’s TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Cote d’Ivoire 2023.

Despite being drawn in a tough group with reigning champions Senegal, former champions Cameroon, and The Gambia, the Guineans remain ambitious about doing well. They will look at advancing beyond the group stages despite being against tough opposition.

Mohamed Bayo, Aguibou Camara, and Serhou Guirassy are some of the key players that coach Kaba Diawara will be looking for some individual brilliance when Guinea kicks off their TotalEnergies AFCON campaign against Cameroon on Monday, 15 January.

Guinea’s matches in Group C:

January 15

Cameroon – Guinea: 17h00 GMT, Charles-Konan-Banny Stadium, Yamoussoukro

January 19

Guinea – Gambia: 20h00 GMT, Charles-Konan-Banny Stadium, Yamoussoukro

January 23

Guinea – Senegal: 17h00 GMT, Stade Charles-Konan-Banny, Yamoussoukro

How they qualified:

Guinea had to wait for the last day of qualifiers to secure their ticket to Cote d’Ivoire. Despite not being in action on the day, Ethiopia and Malawi played out a goalless draw, allowing Guinea (who finished second behind Egypt) to secure their ticket to Cote d’Ivoire.

Player to watch: Serhou Guirassy

Serhou Guirassy is a goal poacher of note and certainly one to look to when searching for goals. He has 19 goals from 16 matches with Vfb Stuttgart in Germany. Despite playing his very first TotalEnergies AFCON at 27 years old, Guirassy is high in confidence and will be looking to be a severe threat to defenders in Cote d’Ivoire.

One of his key attributes is his unique ability to finish with both feet, which will be a great asset against some of the continent’s best defenders and goalkeepers.

The coach: Kaba Diawara

Appointed as head coach of the team in 2021, Kaba Diawara will be guiding Guinea for the second consecutive TotalEnergies AFCON next month.

Diawara is a game student, which was evident during his time as an analyst for major TV channels dissecting the game. Well known for his incredible motivation and ability to calm his players, Diawara is a fan of the 4-3-3 formation. He hopes his players adapt and master the system well against some of the best players next month.