National Team in Shambles

Sorry for the lack of updates over the past couple of months. What has transpired in my absence? Quite simply the Syli Nationale have totally collapsed. They fell 2-1 away to Malawi and just this weekend lost 2-1 in a ‘home’ match in Accra, Ghana to Burkina Faso. Coupled with Malawi’s shock point at home against Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea now look likely to miss out on the African Cup of Nations in Angola in 2010. And they do not deserve to go anyway. Malawi’s players want to be there more than Guinea’s players.

Guinea has a better pool of players to choose from, not even the most ardent of Malawian fans can dispute that. But when they are on the pitch together this group of Guinean players has been shambolic. Malawi have admittedly not been much better but they have been better.

Thus entering the final found of fixtures Guinea must get at least a point away to Côte d’Ivoire and hope Burkina Faso win at home against Malawi in this scenario. If Malawi draw then Guinea must win. If Malawi wins then Guinea will stunningly miss out on the Nations Cup for the first time since 2002.

The safe money is on Guinea missing out. The only saving grace is that Côte d’Ivoire have nothing to play for. Though I very much question whether the Guinean players care about making it to the Nations Cup. If they did they would have secured their spot by now.

So the national team is currently in shambles. Manager Titi Camara was sacked after only a few games in charge. The current caretaker manager is not likely to last long either.

Where to go from here for the Syli is a great question. It would certainly appear that major changes are needed. What those changes are will have to be determined by the FA. For now rock bottom has been all but reached. It will be confirmed come the final fixture in November.

For now congrats to Malawi on taking over the third spot. You deserve to hang on to it though I will still be hoping that Guinea somehow awaken and exorcise their demons against Côte d’Ivoire and steal the final Nations Cup place. That hardly looks like happening though.