Key events
Email! “You’d think that with Guirassy out injured, “ says Kári Tulinius, “Guinea shouldn’t be able to stand up to Cameroon, though that might be me talking with my Stuttgart fan hat on, as VfB are a different proposition without him. That they’re missing two defensive midfielders in Touré and Diawara also doesn’t bode well.”
Ah, I’m glad you’ve messaged on this point. I’ve not seen Giurassy over 90, but I guess I’m suspicious of his sudden late-20s explosion. Is he serious, or just a decent player enjoying a streak?
Meanwhile the triple league champions have 115 charges against them with no schedule as to their resolution. Just another day in the life of the Greatest League In The WorldTM.
Also going on:
In all the palaver I didn’t properly pay attention to Onana’s shoes, also worth a look-in. Maybe he was wearing them for Manchester United’s Champions League games – it’d certainly explain a few things.
André Onana, meanwhile, is in the ground but not playing following an unscheduled flight detour – inclement weather meant he landed in Abidjan not Yamoussoukro.
More importantly, though, into what shop can one go and request an outfit that looks exactly like Accra’s Sky Bar?
🚨 | André Onana is currently stranded 150 miles from Cameroon’s AFCON fixture against Guinea, which kicks off at 17:00 GMT today. [Sports Vibes] pic.twitter.com/Az3YqyAoL4
— UtdDistrict (@UtdDistrict) January 15, 2024
Big misses for both sides: Cameroon are without Vincent Aboubakar, while Guinea have no Serhou Guirassy following his warm-up match injury against Nigeria.
Let’s have some teams
Cameroon (4-3-3-): Ondoa; Castelletto, Wooh, Moukoudi, Yongwa; Ntcham, Kemen, Anguissa; Magri, Toko Ekambi, N’Koudou. Subs: Ngamaleu, Tolo, Njié, Ateba, Tchamedeu, Gonzalez, Epassy, Neyou, Moumbagna, Elliott, Ngapandouetnbu, Tchato.
Guinea (4-2-3-1): Koné; Conte A, Jeanvier, Diakhaby, Sylla S; Moriba, Konaté; Guilavogui, Camara A, Kamano; Bayo. Subs: Keita, Sylla I, Sow, Keita, Diakité, Camara MA, Cissé K, Cissé S, Camara M, Kanté, Conte F.
Senegal, the defending champions, have beaten the 10 men of the Gambia 3-0, so currently top the group.
Preamble
It’s been a rollicking start to Afcon with shocks and late goals already to the fore. Already, Nigeria have been held by Equatorial Guinea, Cape Verde beaten Ghana, and Mozambique denied victory over Egypt by a 97th-minute penalty. Or, in other words, yesterday was proper.
So far today has been less so, Senegal recording a routine win over the Gambia in the opening Group C match. But Cameroon, champions in 2017 and third last time out in 2021, are not the force they once were, with Bryan Mbuemo is injured and Eric Choupo-Moting left out. They do, though, still have André-Frank Zambo Anguissa loading bullets for Vincent Aboubakar and Karl Toko Ekambi, tournament leading scorers last time out, so will feel confident of a decent showing this afternoon.
Guinea, though – managed by Kaba Diawara of late-90s fame – have in their ranks Serhou Guirassy, whose career has suddenly exploded. So far this season, he has 17 goals in 14 Bundesliga games, and though he might not make today’s game, with Naby Keita and Ilaix Moriba there to provide for him, they’ve plenty of avenues to aggravate more fancied opponents in the next two.
This, then should be another entertaining match, and for those on the Greenwich Meridian, the perfect end-of-day work-skive, and what could possible be better than that?
Kick-off: 5pm GMT
