While the UEFA Nations League is set to dominate headlines during this international window, down in Africa, teams have started jostling to secure their place in next year's Africa Cup of Nations.
Among the first in action was Guinea, led by our peerless striker Serhou Guirassy, who must have been raring to go after starting the club season with four goals and two assists in six games.
He also loves scoring in the AFCON qualifiers, finishing among the top scorers for the qualifiers of the 2025 edition with six goals, a figure bettered only by Morocco's Brahim Diaz. And while the new campaign didn't yield a goal for the 30-year-old on the opening day, he showed a different side of his game instead.
Guirassy's set-piece creates Cisse goal
The Dortmund sharpshooter didn't have the best match, but still produced the decisive moment for his team from a set-piece. In the 69th minute, with South Africa still leading 1-0 in the tie, Guirassy stepped up to take a free-kick from a nice range.
His shot flew through the Bafana Bafana wall and the ball fell kindly to Seydouba Cisse, who was unmarked and took a touch before lashing it beyond South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams for 1-1.
Normally, Guirassy is the one at the receiving end of set-pieces, using his towering stature and positioning inside the six-yard box to capitalize on dead-ball situations. But today, we got to see an interesting contrast, with Guirassy delivering the free-kick and inadvertently creating the chance for Cisse.
His delivery suggested that he was going for goal himself, but couldn't lift it over South Africa's wall, although fortunes were in his (and Cisse's) favor clearly as the ball ended up in the back of the net regardless. In the larger scheme of things, we see how Guirassy makes a difference for his teams even when he isn't scoring.
The striker may have endured a frustrating spell in front of goal at the Orlando Stadium today, but creating that equalizing goal for Guinea from a set-piece means he still left his mark in the AFCON qualifier. He had also won a freekick in the fourth minute, but it came to naught and received a booking in the dying embers of the first stanza too.
Guinea need Guirassy to score
Unfortunately for him, the goal didn't yield dividends as South Africa struck once more to prevail 2-1. It leaves Guinea with a mountain to climb in their next one against Kenya, who have already qualified as co-hosts, but will be seeking to make life difficult for the National Elephants with the Harambee Stars themselves in preparatory mode.
Guinea, who are at home in Conakry for the fixture on Thursday, will once again depend upon Guirassy to produce more quality moments like he created one today. Or perhaps, hope he does what the Dortmund star is best known for across Africa and beyond - score goals.
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