Guinea have announced a 27-man squad for their international friendly against Northern Ireland tomorrow and head coach Paulo Duarte has named a youthful side for the fixture.
With the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers coming up later this year, the Elephants are hoping to mark a return after missing the last edition but play just one friendly game in the current window.
Ranked 80th in the world, the Guineans have been drawn against South Africa, Eritrea and Kenya, who have already qualified on the grounds of being co-hosts of the tournament.
Dortmund striker not called- up
Guinea will have to make do without their marksman Serhou Guirassy, who has been rested from this month's fixture. The Borussia Dortmund forward had another prolific campaign for the club after netting 22 goals in all competitions to emerge as their top-scorer again.
A pure penalty-box striker with predatory instincts and devastating finishing skills, the unrelenting sharp-shooter has been a key figure for his international side too and has struck 11 goals from 28 appearances for Guinea.
Although the west African side failed to qualify for the World Cup again, they have a fourth consecutive AFCON qualification in sight ahead of their opening qualifier fixture against South Africa in September, for which Guirassy could be called-up.
As for the BVB fans, it must have been disappointing to know that they won't get to see their best player strut his stuff in the current international window but Duarte is experimenting with a younger side as Guinea look to build their squad for the future.
Guirassy gets a deserved rest
On the bright side, this could be a boon for Guirassy, who carried the BVB on his shoulders throughout 2025-26 season. He clocked the highest minutes in the Bundesliga of any Dortmund player while starting 29 top-flight matches of his 33 appearances.
With a full month off for him, the Black and Yellows can expect him to return for the pre-season in a fine condition and perhaps achieve peak form ahead of the season-opener against Bayern Munich in the crucial 2026 Franz Beckenbauer Supercup on 22 August 2026.
As the BVB also prepare for a squad overhaul this summer in order to put up a serious challenge to Bayern for the Bundesliga title, a fit and firing Guirassy could boost their ambition while also remaining fiercely competitive in the domestic and international cup games too.
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