AFCON
Liverpool’s Keita named in Guinea squad for Cup of Nations
Guinea have included Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita in their extended 27-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon next month as they became the first team to name their final selection on Tuesday.
Keita is likely to be the first of three players from the title-chasing Anfield club to be selected for the Jan. 9-Feb. 6 competition along with Egyptian forward Mo Salah and Senegal striker Sadio Mane.
Former Arsenal forward Kaba Diawara recently replaced Frenchman Didier Six as Guinea coach and has also selected the brother of Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba. Defender Florentin plays for Sochaux in the French second tier.
Keita is likely to come up against Mane, with Guinea drawn in Group B at the finals alongside Senegal, Zimbabwe and Malawi. They will be heavily fancied to make the second round.
The Nations Cup finals have been under threat with concerns raised over a lack of organisation, incomplete building work and coronavirus outbreaks among the large number of players and staff set to descend on Cameroon in the next few weeks.
But Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe has said he expects the finals to go ahead as planned.
Guinea squad:
Goalkeepers: Aly Keita (Ostersund, Sweden), Ibrahima Kone (Hibernians, Malta), Moussa Camara (Horoya, Guinea)
Defenders: Saidou Sow (St Etienne, France), Ibrahima Conte (Niort, France), Florentin Pogba (Sochaux, France), Ousmane Kante (Paris FC, France), Mohamed Aly Camara (Young Boys, Switzerland), Pa Konate (Botev Plovdiv, Bulgaria), Issiaga Sylla (Toulouse, France), Antoine Conte (Universitatea Craiova, Romania), Mikael Dyrestam (Sarpsborg 08, Norway)
Midfielders: Amadou Diawara (Roma, Italy), Ibrahima Cisse (Seriang, Belgium), Mory Konate (Sint-Truidense, Belgium), Ibrahima Sory Conte (Bnei Sakhnin, Israel), Ilaix Moriba (RB Leipzig), Mamadou Kane (Neftci, Azerbaijan), Morlaye Sylla (Horoya, Guinea), Aguibou Camara (Olympiacos, Greece), Naby Keita (Liverpool, England)
Forwards: Seydouba Soumah (Kuwait SC, Kuwait), Morgan Guilavogui (Paris FC, France), Mamadou Diallo (Grenoble, France), Jose Kante (Kairat, Kazakhstan), Mohamed Bayo (Clermont France), Sory Kaba (OH Leuven, Belgium)
According to Libya’s news outlets, there are palpable fears in the Libya national team which faces successive crises and trying to avoid early elimination from the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series.
The team which faces the Super Eagles this week has been plagued with players’ absences occasioned by injuries and boycotts.
The coach recently appointed has revealed the names of players refusing to represent the national team.
In a press conference held on Saturday, Coach Nasser Al-Hadhiri remarked that the absence of several players were due to real injuries.
In that class are Ahmed Al-Tarbi, a defender of Ahli Tripoli; Mohammed Al-Tabbal of Al-Nasr club and Ali Youssef who also suffered the injury while playing with Tunisia’s Club Africaine.
If the Libyan national team sticks to plans, the players are expected to have arrived in Nigeria ahead of their Thursday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying duel in Uyo.
With most players drawn from the domestic league, the national team had daily training sessions in Tripoli under coach Nasser Al-Hadhiri and his assistants Akram Al-Hammami and Abu Bakr Al-Hark.
However, according to media sources in Libya, the team faces injury worries even though the absence of Victor Osimhen in the Nigerian squad is being celebrated.
Even though it did not mention the injured Libyan players, Libya Al-Ahrar Channel reports that replacements were found in Al-Tahadi FC defender, Mohammed Khalil and Al-Nasr midfielder, Abdullah Abdul Rahim as well as Al-Akhdar winger, Faraj Ghaidhan. They take the places of the absent regular players.
Franck Mawuena who recently renewed his contract with Remo Stars has received a call-up to the Togolese squad for this week’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match. He had previously featured in the Belgian League.
He was part of the Remo Stars squad that finished second in the Nigeria Premier league last season. He scored six goals.
Togo will be away to Algeria on Thursday before hosting the reversed fixture on 14 October.
Titanic battle as Super Cup winners Zamalek drawn to face Enyimba
Players boycott Libyan national team
Pressure mounts on Libya ahead of Super Eagles clash
Breaking! Uzoho suspended from Super Eagles’ next match with Sierra Leone
No longer Super League as CAF changes name of its new clubs competition
AIU releases its report on Tobi Amusan
-
International Football7 days agoWhy FIFA banned Samuel Eto’o
-
AFCON2 days agoEguavoen unfolds Super Eagles’ squad for back-to-back duel with Libya
-
International Football3 days agoPortugal call up same player named in England Under-18 squad
-
Nigerian Football7 days agoThere are paedophiles among Nigerian coaches, former Super Eagles player alleges
-
AFCON2 days agoLibyans jubilate over Osimhen’s injury
-
Nigerian Football1 week agoHalf-time reflection of Gusau’s tenure at Nigeria Football Federation
-
World Cup1 week agoFIFA’s big stick falls on Argentina
-
Nigerian Football1 week agoAmuneke regrets 1-0 away defeat by Shooting Stars