After its victory during the 3rd day (4-1), Guinea once again dominated Ethiopia (0-3) on Tuesday October 15, at the Alassane Ouattara Olympic stadium in Ebimpé, Ivory Coast, in counting the 4th day of the CAN qualifiers. The national Syli, led by Serhou Guirassy in great form, is back in the race for the final phases of the continental competition scheduled for Morocco in 2025.
With this double victory against the Walya of Ethiopia, Guinea is getting closer to qualifying for the next African Cup of Nations. Initially beaten by the DRC (1-0) and Tanzania (1-2), the Guineans got back on track and achieved a great performance on October 12 and 15 against the Ethiopians. The objective of bringing back 6 points from this double confrontation, nicknamed “ 6 point operation“, was largely achieved. This success was crucial to preserving the chances of qualification for Serhou Guirassy and his teammates.
Michel Dussuyer, the national Syli coach, was able to breathe new life into his team’s game, particularly by strengthening its offensive potential. “I think we need to give a guiding idea to the game. There are technical skills in this team, and heart too. We try to work on offensive connections, while maintaining a solid defensive organization. That was our challenge: not to concede goals and to be more solid in the second half,” explained the Frenchman in a post-match press conference.
Revenge against the Leopards
With this victory, Guinea snatches second place in Group H from Tanzania, which has four points. However, Michel Dussuyer is careful not to boast: “The work is not finished. We are not yet qualified. There are two important meetings remaining in November, and we will have to seek qualification. »
Michel Dussuyer is already setting his sights on the next events, in particular the crucial match against the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Leopards “will be keen to win a third consecutive match, and we must take our revenge,” warns the national Syli coach. What is up to us is to take the points. We will play to win, and if necessary, we will go for a result in Tanzania. »
In just a few weeks, the 64-year-old coach recruited to deal with the most urgent, after the debacle of the national team, managed to put Guinea back on the path to qualifying for CAN 2025. “We are working hard, even if time was limited. It’s about restoring confidence in this team and giving it positive energy,” he said, emphasizing the importance of restoring pride and cohesion within the team, after the two starting defeats. For the moment, we must admit that it works well for him.
Guirassy, next golden ball?
François Kamano, the striker for Damac FC in Saudi Arabia, was one of the key players in the double victory against Ethiopia. He delivered an assist in the first match. At the end of the second, he expressed the team’s desire to bounce back: “After the two defeats against the DRC and Tanzania, we were all disappointed. We had a frank discussion between us, and we decided not to miss this chance. We had to take the 6 points, and that’s what we did. » Kamano also underlined the confidence rediscovered under the direction of Michel Dussuyer: “I congratulate the team for these two victories… I think that the secret of my performance is the work and the confidence of the coach to whom I return the responsibility. cash… “
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Kéamou Bogola Haba, congratulated the players on the victory via a Facebook post. He already sees Serhou Guirassy succeeding Souleymane Chérif, until then the only Guinean crowned African Golden Ball in 1970. “We are in a good position for qualification for the CAN Morocco 2025, and our star striker Serhou Guirassy is a serious contender for the African Golden Ball 2024. Special mention also to our young goalkeeper Moussa Camara Pinpin, for his first clean sheet with the national A team,” wrote the minister.
Next up for Guinea will be the trip to Dar-Es-Salaam in November, where a victory against Tanzania would guarantee their qualification for the CAN 2025 finals in Morocco. One step away from validating his ticket, the road still remains long for the national Syli, but there is great hope.
Abdoulaye Pellel Bah
2024-10-16 15:28:00