Yamoussoukro’s Charles Konan Banny Stadium plays host to an interesting Group C tie between reigning champions, Senegal taking on Guinea in what will be a decider for the first place on Tuesday, 23 January.
Following their 3-1 win over Cameroon, which was preceded by a 3-0 win over Gambia, Senegal are top of the group. Guinea on the other hand held the Indomitable Lions to a 1-1 opening match before edging Gambia 1-0 to be second on the group ahead of the final clash against the reigning champions.
This is what the coaches and captains had to say ahead of the clash:
Kaba Diawara – Guinea Coach
“We have 4 points so far, which is good, but it is not enough. We play all the matches to win, and victory over Senegal means that we will go top of the group, and we will not have to travel for the quarter-final match. We will benefit from the return of all injured players and go for all three points. We will face the defending champion, who have 6 points and has scored 6 goals so far. The pressure will not be on us, but on Senegal because they are African champions”.
Morgan Guilavogui – Guinean Midfielder
“We played a good match against Senegal in the Cameroon 2021 edition, and now we have developed further. We have been working with the coach for two years, and we have several talented players. Carrying the colors of the Guinean national team is a matter of pride for me and I am happy about that. I now have experience with the Guinean national team, and we prepared well before the competition began”.
Aliou Cisse – Senegal Coach
“We prepared for the match seriously and professionally, just as we had prepared for previous matches. The match between Senegal and Guinea is a much-anticipated derby in West Africa. There are 3 derbies in our group. Our third match is important, and we are counting on a win in order to stay in the lead. We put the matches between Gambia and Cameroon in the past. The match in which we faced Guinea during the Cameroon edition was difficult due to the Corona pandemic, and the year 2022 is not like 2024”.
Nampalys Mendy – Senegalese Midfielder
“Matches change, but the determination remains the same. Everyone is focused on the match, even though we qualified for the next round. I did not speak to my colleague at Lens teammates. We are friends, but on the field each one defends his country’s team.”
