Guinean sport, like other sectors of activity, has been strongly shaken by the global health crisis of Covid19. Internationally, the teams’ results were not brilliant, except for Horoya Athlétic, the only club in the race which still has its chance of qualifying in the African campaign, Syli Sénior in good shape (2th with 8 points) for his qualification at 33th Continental Mass in Cameroon, the next participation of locals at the 6th African Nations Championship 2021. The elimination of the Industrial Club of Kamsar, the Sports Association of Kaloum (ASK) and the Ashanti of Siguiri from the first round of the preliminaries, fiascos that threaten the index of football Guinean, the Syli U20 also eliminated in the Zone 2 qualifying tournament for the African Cup of this category in Mauritania will have marked the spirits in this year which ends.
However, there are certain gains in terms of infrastructure despite the covid19, the General Lansana Conté stadium in Nongo was recently approved by the African Football Confederation (CAF), the féguifoot tells us, the Hafia Football Club is working to build its ground training without forgetting the infrastructure equipped with the Guinean Federation of Karate and Affinity Martial Arts, achieved through the partnership with the Embassy of Japan in Guinea and the Guinean Basque pelota has completed the construction of its land, it is about a left wall pediment financed by the French partners. In addition, there is also the organization of the international seminar of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) which brought together 8 countries from Zone 2 on the theme: ” Empowerment of girls and women through sport ”, Guinean sport will have lived the worst moments of its history in 2020 with the tragedy of Timbo in Mamou which cost the lives of ten (10) players of the Star of Guinea and sixteen (16) injured, a club which evolves in league 2 and the disappearance of several sports personalities.
2020, the year of elective congresses
The Guinean Federation of Affinity Martial Arts renewed its executive board last November. The statutory members renewed Master Cheick Condé as president, to lead the destinies of Karate for the next four (04) years. Thanks to the 15th elective basketball assembly, weak against a background of challenges to changes to the statutes, Sakoba Keita succeeded as president of the said sports body. In Swimming, N’Bambé Sacko was re-elected at the head of the said discipline on December 22 for a new term of 4 years.
Infrastructures, despite the Covid 19
In addition to the recent certification of the Lansana Conté de Nongo general stadium by CAF, Guinea has benefited from other infrastructures such as the Hafia Football Club training ground located in Nongo. The Guinean Federation of Karate and Affinity Martial Arts has offered itself a brand new infrastructure equipped thanks to its partnership with the Embassy of Japan. The umbrella body of the Guinean Basque pelota has completed its land called the left wall pediment, funded with the support of French partners.
A year of fiasco on the international scene
The performance of the Guinean teams on the international scene was not brilliant. Except the local syli qualified at 6th edition of the African Nations Championship scheduled from January 16 to February 07 in Cameroon, the seniors who are second with 8 points behind the Eagles of Mali in group A of the qualifiers of the 33th African Cup of Nations and the Horoya Athletic club which will soon play the preliminaries return against Racing Club d’Abidjan after 1 goal everywhere in the first leg of the Champions League in Conakry. And also the 4th place obtained by Guinean basketball players from under 18 to 22th U18 championship in Cairo, Egypt, it must be recognized that the Guinean teams have not lived up to expectations. As illustrated by the elimination of three (03) clubs (Club Industriel de Kamsar, Ashanti de Siguiri and Association Sportive de Kaloum) in the African campaign and the elimination of U20s in the UFOA Zone 2 tournament qualifier for the CAN of this category in Mauritania in 2021.
The Covid19 pandemic and sport
The Covid 19 has turned the calendar of local and international competitions upside down. With the establishment of a state of emergency by the Head of State through a decree prohibiting the stopping of any sporting activity throughout the national territory, hence the confinement and barrier measures with the key the compulsory wearing of bibs. The Guinean professional football league on the decision of its president General Mathurin Bangoura to interrupt the league 1 and 2 championships. As the other said, the happiness of some is the misfortune of others, so the four (04) Guinean representatives were appointed according to the ranking at the top of the table and the formula decreed by the Pro league, except the case of ASk which replaced Wackriya following its withdrawal according to Féguifoot. Other repercussions of this pandemic, and not the least, have been the delay of CAF and FIFA competitions with the closure of the stadiums. Thus, the chan, the cuts of the CAF, the CAN, shifted to resume following the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO). This pushes CAF and FIFA to make Covid tests compulsory two days before a match, to increase the number of players per team like Chan with 33 instead of 23. The matches are played behind closed doors. The impact is also felt by other athletes and sports players, both financially and technically. On the athletes who, moreover, most of them have experienced a drop in speed, that is to say poor shape, recurring injuries, etc.
The championships, despite the pandemic
Despite this health crisis which has had repercussions on the functioning of the sports world, some sports associations have organized their annual activity. Unsurprisingly, the football sector plays its national league 1 and 2 championship. Handball has completed its championship which ended with the coronation of the Olympic instead of the Horoya and tends towards the end of the 10th edition of its national cup. Karate finished its national championship where the KASE club won for the 4th times in a row, coupled with the 3th edition of the cup with the Alpha Condé trophy, President of the Republic on December 27 at the sports hall of the stadium September 28. Other disciplines have contented themselves with training sports events to end the year on a high note with their athletes.
Ultimately, 2020 has been a difficult year for Guinean sport.
