[Guinean news] Guinea thumps Botswana in African Cup

The Guinean national soccer team crushed debutantes Botswana 6-1 in their second group stage game at the African Nations Cup. This was by far the biggest victory by any team at the tournament so far. Botswana had a player ejected shortly before half time for a bad tackle when the score was 3-1.

Guinea play tournament co-favorites Ghana in their final group stage game on Wednesday Feb. 1 at 1:00 pm Eastern Time (1800 GMT). The Syli national will likely advance to the quarterfinals with a win and will likely be eliminated with a loss. They will advance with a draw only if Botswana defeats Mali in the other match.

[Guinean news] Live Tweeting the African Nations Cup

Follow FOG's Twitter feed for live tweeting of Guinea's African Nations Cup 2012 matches.

[Guinean news] Guinean soccer team loses to Mali in Nations Cup

Guinea's national soccer team lost by a 1-0 margin to Mali in both teams' opening match at the African Nations Cup tournament held in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. The Syli national lost to their neighbors despite creating far more quality scoring opportunities. Guinea's next group stage game is on Saturday against Botswana, a team making their first ever appearance at the tournament. Their final match will be next Wednesday against Ghana, one of the teams favored to win the tournament.

[Guinean news] Syli national Nations Cup opens next week

The Guinean national soccer team's opening match in the 2012 African Nations Cup will occur next week. The tournament will be held in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. Guinea's opening round matches are as follows:

Jan. 24: vs Mali (1500 GMT)
Jan. 28: vs Botswana (1500 GMT)
Feb. 1: vs Ghana (1700 GMT)

The full Nations Cup schedule can be found here, though bear in mind that kickoffs on the linked to site are in central African time, which is two hours ahead of GMT and currently seven hours ahead of American EST.

Details regarding any television and/or online broadcasting are not available but readers are invited to share anything they learn.

[Guinean news] Soccer team qualifies for Nations Cup

After a 2-2 draw with Nigeria in Lagos, Guinea's national team was a shock qualifier for the 2012 African Nations Cup at the host's expense. Nigeria was not the only fallen continental giant. Egypt, Cameroon and South Africa also failed to qualify for the tournament, which will be co-host early next year by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

[Guinean news] Judicial strike; security chaos; Guinean soccer team loses at home

The Guinean military junta's cabinet member in charge of fighting crime and drugs trafficking provoked widespread international criticism when he urged civilians to 'burn alive' armed robbers caught in the act.

"I am asking you to burn alive armed bandits who are caught red-handed," said Capt. Moussa Tiegoro Camara. "Our jails and our correctional centres can no longer take in people and the situation cannot carry on like this."

The call was denounced by the Guinean Organization for Human Rights as well as international NGOs. It was seen as an admission of the junta's impotence in security matters.

Earlier this week, the Guinean judges and lawyers briefly went on strike to protest military interference in judicial matters. Yesterday, junta leader Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara fulfilled the strikers' main demand by eliminating the position of secretary of state responsible for conflicts.

The Guinean soccer team was defeated 2-1 on Sunday by Côte d'Ivoire in Conakry during a 2010 World and African Nations Cup qualifier. The loss marked the first competitive defeat at home for the national team since 1994 and their first loss of any kind at home since 1996. Following the match, national team coach Robert Nouarazet and the Guinean federation parted ways by mutual consent. The Frenchman was replaced by the revered former Guinean player Aboubacar "Titi" Camara.

[Sports news] Guinea faces stadium ban for World Cup qualifiers

The Guinean national soccer team risks forfeiting home field advantage during its qualifying run for the 2010 World Cup. The international soccer federation FIFA has ordered the Guinean authorities to make several improvements to Conakry's 28th of September Stadium to address security concerns. Guinea's qualifying campaign is scheduled to start on May 30 at home vs Zimbabwe.

[Guinean sports] Guinea's top club excluded from soccer league

The Conakry soccer club AS Kaloum (ASK) has been kicked out of this year's Guinean first division over a dispute with the country's soccer federation Féguifoot.

Guinéenews reports that ASK signed a sponsoring deal with the mobile telephone company Areeba without informing the federation. Féguifoot has an exclusive contract with a rival mobile company Orange.

Kaloum tried to play its opening match against a club from Boké but were not allowed to wear their jerseys with the Areeba logo on it. The club refused to play the match.

The second most successful club in Guinean history, ASK has won 12 championships and 6 Guinean Cups, including last year's edition of both.

[Guinean news] Soccer team eliminated from Nations Cup

The Guinean national soccer team was eliminated from the African Nations Cup at the quarterfinal stage for the third tournament in a row. The Syli national were thrashed 5-0 by Côte d'Ivoire. The game was better than the heavy scoreline would suggest. The young Guinean side was missing its best attacking player (suspension) and best defender (injury) but still remained competitive with the heavily favored Elephants for most of the game. But the pre-tournament favorite Ivorians scored four times in the last 20 minutes to seal the game.

[Soccer news] Guinea to open African Naitons Cup today

The 26th African Nations Cup opens today in Accra, Ghana as the host nation battles Guinea. The Syli national has never won the Nations Cup, with its best finish being runner-up in 1976. Guinea lost in the quarterfinals of the last two Nations Cups. However in order to do so for the third straight year, they will have to advance from group that comprises the host nation, Morocco and Namibia.

Reuters reports that there is already a carnival atmosphere in Conakry.

The tournament is not available on American television but can be viewed online via the website telesud.us, though it appears that the service is pay-per-view.

Guinea's schedule is as follows:
Sunday Jan. 20, Noon ET: vs Ghana
Thursday Jan. 24, Noon ET: vs Morocco
Monday Jan. 28, Noon ET: vs Namibia

The full tournament schedule and more news can be found here.

[Sports news] Guinean national team's revival

FIFA.com has an article on the revival of the Guinean national soccer team since the hiring of Robert Nouzaret as coach. The Syli national have qualified for the 2008 African Nations Cup to be held early next year in Ghana. They will be in the same first round group as Namibia, Morocco as well as the host country.

[Guinean news] Guinea to bid for African soccer championships

Jeune Afrique is reporting that Guinea is bidding to host the 2016 African Nations Cup soccer tournament. The pan-African weekly also noted that construction of a 50,000 seat all-purpose stadium in Conakry began recently

[Guinean news] Syli national qualifies for CAN 2008

The Guinean national soccer team, le Syli national, qualified for the 2008 African Nations Cup by thrashing Cape Verde 4-0 in Conakry. CAN 2008 will be held in Ghana during January and February of next year. The Guineans reached the quarterfinals of the 2006 edition of the tournament.

[Sports news] National team stuns Algeria

In a 2008 African Nations Cup (CAN) qualifier in Algiers, Guinea's national team stunned Algeria this weekend by a score of 2-0 on goals from Fodé Mansaré and Pascal Feindouno.

Guinea is virtually unbeatable at home (last competitive home loss was, I believe, in 1994) but very poor on the road, particularly in North Africa.

The result was even more shocking since only a few days earlier, longtime goalkeeper Kémoko Camara quit the national team after being accused of exaggerating an injury.

Syli national coach Robert Nourrazet went so far as to say a few days before the match, "We have no chance against Algeria."

The shock win puts Guinea at the top of their group with 8 points. Algeria also has 8, but Guinea owns the head-to-head. Cape Verde and Gambia are on 5 points. The group winner automatically qualifies for the CAN 2008 tournament in Ghana as well as runners-up from three of the 12 qualifying groups.