Ibrahima Cisse has spoken out about the serious insults levelled at his coach Kaba Diawara after he was left off the list of 27 players chosen to represent the Syli National at the next Africa Cup of Nations in 2023.
Following in the footsteps of Angola, Burkina Faso and Namibia, Guinea coach Kaba Diawara unveiled his list of players for the next Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday. The 34th edition will take place from 13 January to 11 February 2024. Ibrahima Cissé, a 20-time international, was left off Kaba Diawara’s list. It was a decision taken by the coach that sent the Ural player into a tizzy.
“That shitty coach. You should insult this coach’s mother (he’s not even a coach). This country is upside down. Unheard of. Zero coherence. I’m not in the mood, the people who come to defend this coach, I’m going to insult his mother and block him,” read the post on the Snapchat account of the player formerly of Standard Liege.
Ibrahim Cissé makes a mea culpa
Having realised the extent of his outburst, the defensive midfielder made amends during an appearance on Guinean channel CIS TV. “I didn’t write what happened yesterday. It was my friend who wrote,” he tried to explain. “I deleted it but people had already captured it. But I take responsibility and I apologise to Kaba Diawara, with whom I have a good relationship, and I apologise to the coach and the people of Guinea,” he added.
Guinea not honoured at draw ceremony
Guinea were not short-changed at the draw ceremony for the group phase of this 34th edition of the African Cup of Nations. The Syli National were drawn in the competition’s group of death, along with Senegal, Cameroon and Gambia.
After being eliminated by Gambia in the last 16 of the last edition, Kaba Diawara and his men will surely want to do better than last year. But to do so, they will first have to get past Senegal, defending champions and world champions in Qatar, Cameroon, who finished third at the last edition on home soil, and Gambia, who will be no easy opponents either.
Kaba Diawara will still be able to call on experienced players such as Naby Keita, Serhou Guirassy, Morgan Guilavogui and François Kamano.
The 25 Guineans selected for the African Cup of Nations
Goalkeepers
Aly Keita
Moussa Camara
Ibrahim Koné
Defenders
Antoine Conté
Ibrahima Diakité
Issiagha Sylla
Sékou Oumar Sylla
Mouctar Diakhaby
Julien Janvier
Saidou Sow
Mohamed Aly Camara
Midfielders
Amadou Diawara
Seydouba Cissé
Aguibou Camara
Naby Keita
Aboudoulaye Touré
Mory Konaté
Moriba Kourouma
Karim Cissé
Forwards
François Kamano
Morgan Guilavogui
Serhou Guirassy
Mohamed Bayo
José Martinez Kanté
Facinet Conté
Fousseni Diawara to accompany Kaba Diawara
In addition to his key players, coach Kaba Diawara will also be able to count on Fousseni Diawara, who has been appointed assistant coach of Guinea. The former Mali coach, who will accompany the Syli coach during the CAF Africa Cup of Nations, spoke of the pressure that comes with such a responsibility: “I’m ready to give it my all, as I did with Mali. So the Guineans have opened the door for me, and it’s up to me to repay their faith, particularly that of coach Kaba Diawara, whom I’d like to thank for incorporating me into the Syli technical staff. Fousseni Diawara says he is ready to put his expertise at the service of the Syli National and to contribute to the team’s success in future competitions.
“Of course you have to be ambitious when you go to this kind of competition, you’re ready to do something, you’re playing for a whole nation. You’re ready to do something, you’re playing for a whole nation. So obviously there’s ambition, but you have to give yourself the means to fulfil those ambitions. That means good preparation, a good group spirit and solidarity from everyone,” said Fouss.
As a reminder, Guinea will make their debut in the competition on 15 January 2024 against Rigobert Song’s Cameroon.
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