adminBAFOUSSAM. — Guinea will square off with Malawi in the 2021 African Cup of Nations Group B match at the Kouekong Stadium in Bafoussam tonight.
Kick-off is at 6pm.
The National Elephants are eyeing nothing but a win against the Flames in a group that includes a stubborn Zimbabwe side and tournament favourites, Senegal.
The Guinea camp has been hit by Covid-19 ahead of Africa’s biggest football tournament, but their star midfielder and captain Naby Keita is available for selection.
Kaba Diawara, the Guinea head coach, is oozing with confidence and he believes that he can guide the team to the knockout phase of the competition.
“We have the ambition to go as far as possible in this competition, which is why I accepted this mission,” Diawara told Africa Top Sports.
“Now it is clear that it is the results that will speak. We try to put things in place, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
“We arrive in a competition and we will quickly be focused. In any case at the level of ambition, yes, I will take up the challenge ”
Meanwhile, Malawi are considered by some to be Group B’s minnows as they make their third appearance in the continental tournament.
The Flames’ camp has also been hit by Covid-19 with Charles Petro and Mark Fodya having been ruled out from their clash with the National Elephants after testing positive for the coronavirus.
However, Malawi have been boosted by the availability of Richard Mbulu and this has come as good news for their coach Mario Marinica, who is hoping for a winning start in Cameroon.
“It is good news that Mbulu is negative and is coming on Saturday. This will help us with the squad plan,” Marinica told Malawian Football Association’s official website.
“However, it is a very difficult situation with Fodya and Petro. The two are very crucial to our Afcon plans with what we did with them in Saudi Arabia.
“Now we have to re-assess and re-adjust and hope we will still get flying colours.”
The last meeting between Guinea and Malawi was in March 2016 at the Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre.
Guinea secured a 2-1 win over Malawi in the 2017 AFCON qualifier.
Elsewhere today, Comoros will go head to head with Gabon in the AFCON Group C match at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaoundé.
Kick-off is at 9pm.
The Coelacanths are hoping to mark their debut appearance in Africa’s most prestigious football tournament with a win having reached this competition following a successful qualifying campaign.
El Fardou Ben Nabouhane and Youssouf M’Changama are the key players for Comoros as they played a vital role in helping the team qualify for the competition which is being staged in Cameroon.
Amir Abdou, the Comoros head coach, has made it known that they did not qualify for the 2021 Afcon finals by mistake and he promised that his charges will fight on the pitch.
“We did not qualify by chance. We, therefore, do not think that we will let the opportunity to go as far as possible slip away,” Abdou told Africa Foot United.
“We will fight with our weapons with our various adversaries, as tough as they are. Football is on the pitch. We will focus on the first match against Gabon, and then there is all the athletic preparation.”
Gabon are coming into this match as the favourites due to their experience in this tournament as they will be making their eighth appearance in the competition.
However, the Panthers are expected to be without their most influential players in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mario Lemina after the duo tested positive for Covid-19 when they face Comoros.
Patrice Neveu, the Gabon head coach, will be hoping that André Biyogo Poko and Denis Bouanga step up in the absence of the abovementioned players as they look to avoid an upset against Coelacanths.
The Panthers were thrashed 3-0 by Burkina Faso in a friendly game on January 3, but Neveu remains hopeful that his side will perform well in their group.
“It was a preparation game and we saw the shortcomings of our team. We have to be mentally strong,” Neveu told CAF Online.
“I am going to make choices very quickly to put the team back on track. The objective was to make a review of the quality of the squad and see the state of our players.
“I know that with the team that we have, there is the potential to go to the next round, that will be the main objective.
“Our group is balanced. I don’t want to make predictions, but I know what we have the team for.”
The last time Comoros faced Gabon was in November 2016.
The two teams played to a 1-1 draw in a friendly match at the Stade Olympique d’El Menzah in Tunisia. — AFP.
Online Reporter