Guinea: CAF approves 28-September Stadium and allows the return of international home matches.
The African Football Confederation (CAF) has granted a provisional category 3 accreditation to the 28-September Stadium in Conakry. This decision is intended to allow Guinean teams and clubs to reconnect with their fans, after several years of playing matches abroad due to non-compliant infrastructure.
SUMMARY
Guinea had not hosted an international match since June 2022. In a statement, the Guinean Football Federation (Feguifoot) indicated that the CAF’s authorization is valid temporarily until September 2026.
The 28-September Stadium will notably host two matches involving clubs participating in African club competitions. Hafia FC is set to face AS Douanes from Mauritania on September 11, while Horoya AC is scheduled to play against JS Saoura from Algeria on September 13.
The national team, the Syli National, is also expected to return to the field on October 1 to play against Kenya. Feguifoot presents this match as taking place at the 28-September Stadium, even though the CAF statement cited by the federation refers to a certification limited to the month of September. The exact implications of the authorization for the October match have not been specified.
Further work still needed
Guinea had been forced to relocate the matches of its national teams and clubs, as its sports venues did not meet the standards required by international bodies. This situation deprived supporters of home official matches and complicated the work of local sports media.
Ibrahima Blasco Bari, secretary-general of Feguifoot, welcomed a decision that should enable Guinean fans to reconnect with their teams. According to him, the return of matches to Conakry is a response to the expectations of players, supporters, and other stakeholders in national football.
However, the federation emphasizes that the accreditation does not equate to final validation. The Ministry of Sports and Feguifoot must continue the work and the corrective measures required to achieve complete and sustainable compliance of the installations.
The provisional return of international competitions to the 28-September Stadium remains conditional on the continuation of these improvements and the possible renewal of the authorization by the CAF.
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