Guinea’s President, Mamadi Doumbouya, has warned the national team players ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Cameroon to win the trophy or risk repaying the money spent on them.
Doumbouya hosted the players in Conakry and sent them off with a message before heading to Kigali, Rwanda, for a closed-camping session.
The message, however, left the Guinean team with a mountain to climb as the seemingly impossible was demanded.
“The cup or you repay the money that has been invested in you,” Col. Doumbouya told the players at their farewell meeting.
The Kaba Diawara-led team will have a full squad to choose from, with Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita leading the line. They also have Ilaix Moriba, a former Barcelona midfielder who recently switched allegiance from Spain.
Guinea's President Mamadi Doumbouya has told Guinean Players to either win the AFCON or return the money that has been spent on them. pic.twitter.com/3bQA4nij0T
— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) December 30, 2021
Doumbouya led the coup that resulted in the capture of former President Alpha Conde on September 5th, becoming the West African country’s interim president as a result.
The 2021 AFCON in Cameroon will be Guinea’s 13th, with their best performance coming in 1976, when they finished runners-up.
Before Guinea can meet Doumbouya’s lofty goal, they must first overcome a group that includes favourites Senegal, Malawi, and Zimbabwe.
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