Guinea’s President, Mamadi Doumbouya, has warned national team players that they must win the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Cameroon or risk having to repay the money spent on them.
Doumbouya hosted the players in Conakry before sending them off with a message to Kigali, Rwanda, for a closed-camping session.
The message, on the other hand, presented the Guinean team with a mountain to climb, as the seemingly impossible was demanded.
“You either win the cup or repay the money that has been invested in you,” Col. Doumbouya told the players during their farewell meeting.
The team will be led by Kaba Diawara, who will have a full squad to choose from, with Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita leading the line. Ilaix Moriba, a former Barcelona midfielder who recently switched allegiance from Spain, is also on their roster.
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
On September 5th, Doumbouya led the coup that resulted in the capture of former President Alpha Conde, becoming the West African country’s interim president as a result.
Guinea’s 13th AFCON will be held in Cameroon in 2021, 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.
