The President of Guinea has been detained
A World Cup qualifier between Morocco and Guinea was postponed on Sunday following a coup d’etat in the West African country, with the visiting side also being forced to evacuate the capital of Conakry.
Morocco goalkeeper Anas Zniti, who was with the team in Conakry, has told ESPN that the team are all safe.
“The current political and security situation in Guinea is quite volatile and is being closely monitored by FIFA and CAF,” the Confederation of African Football said in a statement.
There we have it. #Guinea soldiers on TV say constitution, government dissolved in apparent coup. #AlphaConde pic.twitter.com/G960nr8jPw
— Bate Felix (@BateFelix) September 5, 2021
“To ensure the safety and security of all players and to protect all match officials, FIFA and CAF have decided to postpone the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifying match Guinea vs. Morocco, which had scheduled to be hosted in Conakry, Guinea, on Monday, Sept. 6 Rescheduling information will be made available at a later date.”
Before the postponement was announced, Morocco coach Vahid Halilhodzic told French newspaper L’Equipe: “We’re at the hotel, gunshots can be heard nearby all day. We’re waiting for permission to leave for the airport but we’re stranded for now.
“A plane is waiting for us, but we are not allowed to leave. And to get to the airport, it takes between 45 minutes to an hour. When you hear gunshots outside, safety is not 100% guaranteed.”
What has happened in Guinea Conakry is simply a military coup.President Alpha Conde recently tempered with the constitution that enabled him to contest for the third term and the parliament increased his earnings.Military rule refused to be obsolete in West Africa.
— Senator Shehu Sani (@ShehuSani) September 5, 2021
He continued: “I was told there was a possibility that the game would be played in Morocco, but I don’t know. For now we’re stuck there, let’s see how it goes. We wait. I hope we get back to Morocco before the end of the day.”
Despite Guinea’s defence minister saying the coup had not been successful, a statement sent to ESPN from the coalition of parties opposing the ongoing presidency has confirmed that the country’s president, Alpha Conde, has been detained.
Meanwhile, a Liverpool spokesperson said they are satisfied that their player Naby Keita is “safe and well cared for” amidst the madness.’
“We are in constant contact with Naby and have had regular communication via his national team management. We are satisfied that he is safe and well cared for.”
