AFCON 2021: Guinea – Team guide, key players and full fixtures

Sending your national team off with a mandate to win or refund (their tournament expenses) is hardly anyone’s idea of a shot in the arm. However, that appears to be the mandate under which Guinea’s band of 28 will contest the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon.

The Syli Nationale qualified for the AFCON in second place in Group A, behind Mali. The campaign was in itself quite straightforward: despite losing on the road to Namibia (their only loss of the series), Guinea were never in any real jeopardy. Since the end of AFCON qualification however, they have not won a single competitive game, hampered by playing home World Cup qualifying matches away in Morocco; their record across 12 matches in 2021 reads miserably, with three wins and four losses.

Nevertheless, Guinea are still (barely) ranked inside Africa’s top 15, and currently place 81st in the latest FIFA rankings released in December 2021.

Guinea’s sole podium finish at the AFCON came back in 1976, when they were edged out by Morocco in the tournament decider. However, it was the turn of the millennium that brought sustained gains in the competition for Guinea, as between 2004 and 2008 they made three consecutive quarter-final appearances, and once again reached the last eight in 2015.

Former international Kaba Diawara ended Guinea’s previous affiliation with Didier Six at the end of October, and it still remains to be seen whether this will be to the benefit of the national side. His two games in charge so far hardly bucked the trend in terms of results.

Guinea always seem to have a glut of strong technical midfielders about the place, and that pretty much dictates their 4-3-3 tactical setup. It is all extremely narrow though, and that places demands on the full-backs to advance very early in the build-up, which could expose Guinea in transition.

Naby Keita and Amadou Diawara are influential in midfield for Guinea, with the latter getting on the ball and dictating play and the former (when fit) offering verticality. Diawara’s delicate passing range is often brought to bear in the way of delightful dinks over the top for the strikers to run onto, and Keita’s close control dribbling around the edge of the box can draw defenders and make space inside the area.

With such a huge onus on their full-backs to advance, left-back Issiaga Sylla is vital for their system, bombing forward to get in behind opposing defences. Upfront, Clermont striker Mohamed Bayo is a timely addition to the national side, and provides them with the little bit of added quality that could prove the difference between success and failure.

Ilaix Moriba only recently declared for Guinea, and will be attending his first ever international tournament at the age of 18. The former Barcelona youngster plays in the one position where Guinea have a lot of options available, but could well distinguish himself with his athleticism breaking forward as well as his appreciation of space.

Aly Keita; Mamadou Kane, Saidou Sow, Ibrahima Conte, Issiaga Sylla; Diawara, Keita, Morlaye Sylla; Aguibou Camara, Mohamed Bayo, Seydouba Soumah.

This is, on paper, a quite charitable Group Stage draw for Guinea. Whether their own internal dysfunction will allow them to take advantage of it is a different matter entirely. However, if they finish in second as expected, a kind draw could be theirs and they could perhaps make it as far as the last eight.