The Guinea National Team coach, Souleymane Camara, has addressed concerns regarding bonuses and food poisoning ahead of their crucial match against Bafana Bafana at the CHAN tournament in Kampala, Uganda.
Guinea currently sits third in Group C after two matches. They won their opener against Niger 1-0 but suffered a 3-0 defeat to co-hosts Uganda on Friday. South Africa is fourth and aim to secure maximum points to stay in contention for advancing beyond the group stage.
The two sides will meet on Monday afternoon at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Kampala, Uganda, for a Group C fixture. Speaking to the media on Sunday, Camara expressed confidence that the Guinea Football Federation is actively resolving the bonuses issue.
WHAT DID CAMARA SAY ABOUT THE BONUSES AND FOOD POISONING ALLEGATIONS
He mentioned that the players remained fully focused on their tasks and refused to be distracted. When asked whether players had skipped training on Saturday to protest unresolved bonus issues, Camara responded that they had not.
“Should we discuss the players’ allowances today, a day before the match? No. We should focus on the upcoming game. They should look at their commitment in the competition. Everyone knows their responsibilities towards the team. I believe the federation and the Ministry of Sport are working on that [bonuses],” Camara told the media.
He added that the team had been given time to rest on Saturday after Friday night’s game. “We allowed them sufficient rest; they recovered yesterday and will be able to train today. I believe we are well-prepared for tomorrow’s match,” he said.
On the issue of food poisoning, he said: “Many things happened, but I prefer to reserve my comments on the food poisoning issue.”
Meanwhile, Guinea midfielder Mahamed Madani Diarra said they were determined to bounce back strongly after the defeat. While he acknowledged that South Africa is a “great football nation”, he warned that they will not be showing Bafana too much respect.
“Our loss to Uganda should not define our objectives. Our primary objective is to face any country and fight for a favourable outcome… We’re focused on getting that victory,” Diarra said.
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