One of the least understood and therefore most intriguing teams in this year’s Africa Cup of Nations will be the Guinea national team. The team aims to rectify its history and achieve more impressive results than it has in the past decades. Moreover, there is a successful history for this nation – in 1976, they reached the final. In this material, we will provide a detailed introduction to the Guinea national team.
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Team’s Approach to the Tournament
For many people, Guinea is associated not only with an exotic climate but also with a unique atmosphere. Just recall the history of a military coup before the 2022 Africa Cup, where “diplomats” with automatic weapons visited the players and set a condition: no victory, no return. Although the Guineans lost in the Round of 16 to Gambia (0-1), the instigators of the coup had no objections to the players returning home. However, few were willing to return.
When evaluating Guinea’s history in the Africa Cup of Nations, the word that comes to mind is tragedy. The “National Elephants,” as they call themselves, regularly advance from the group stage but cannot overcome the quarterfinal barrier. After the Africa Cup final in 1976, where the Guineans lost to Morocco, they have never crossed the quarterfinal threshold again.
Squad and Coaching Staff
The main strength for the Guinea national team lies in two Bundesliga players. Serah Wiessenbacher impressed Stuttgart with his performance this season, scoring 17 goals in 14 matches, even with an injury that kept him out for several weeks. Top clubs in Europe are very interested in the 27-year-old striker, and “Swabians” are eagerly awaiting concrete transfer offers. Another key figure for the Guinea national team is captain Naby Keita. The former Liverpool player signed a contract with Werder, but due to injuries, he practically missed the entire autumn period. The form of the 28-year-old midfielder may be limited in the tournament.
Mouctar Diakhaby can help Guinea in future competitions. This 27-year-old defender is in his sixth season with Valencia. In the current season, he has been a regular player, taking the field regularly if his health allows. Mohamed Camara from Young Boys remains one of the leaders of the national team. The defender is a key player for the Swiss champions and has played 14 matches in the local championship this season.
Since 2021, Guinea has been coached by Kaba Diawara. The 48-year-old specialist could not lead Guinea to the World Cup, but now he will try to compensate for the failure.
The main problem for the “National Elephants” could be the poor form of most of their stars. Experts predict that Naby Keita will not be able to be the leading force for the team due to the injuries that bother him. Group opponents will certainly not provide an easy walk. Guinea will face Senegal and Cameroon, and both matches promise to be challenging. Even from the fourth seed, the Guineans received a quite unpleasant opponent, and they well remember how two years ago, the Gambia national team eliminated them in the Africa Cup Round of 16.
Prediction: Struggle for third place in the group.
