World Cup Qualifier Preview: Guinea vs. Zimbabwe

Guinea resume their World Cup campaign today away in Zimbabwe in a match which is a must draw at the very least. With Kenya having defeated Namibia today it moves the Harambee Stars three points clear of Guinea, while at the same time eliminating Namibia from contention. Guinea faces Kenya in the final qualifier of the round but if they are to drop all three points in Zimbabwe that game would be an absolute must win.

This match will mark the first competitive fixture Guinea have played since the international retirement of Kémoko Camara. They will also be missing another stalwart in the back in Bobo Baldé who should be suspended for yellow card accumulation. That will make the defense vulnerable but Guinea has caught a break as Zimbabwe will be missing their star player in Manchester City’s Benjani. With Zimbabwe’s most threatening goal scorer unavailable it should help ease the burden at the back.

While it is never easy playing on the road Guinea should be able to win this match. They have the better players and despite drawing 0-0 in Conakry against Zimbabwe, they should have too much class for their opposition. Plus Zimbabwe have struggled mightily since their opening fixtures having not claimed a point in their last two qualifiers while Guinea have gobbled up the maximum of six points in that same time span. The key to the game for Guinea will probably be to weather the early storm of the desperate Zimbabwean players who know that nothing short of a win will keep alive their World Cup and African Cup of Nations dreams. If Guinea can deflect the opening barrage that is likely to ensue then they should be able to assert their midfield dominance through Pascal Feindouno and Fodé Mansaré to unlock the Zimbabwean defense and create the needed goals. If they go down a goal early though it could be a very long day for the Syli Nationale and a very tense wait for the ultimate qualifier of the round. Hopefully Guinea will make sure to take three points back home with them to Conakry, where they can seal their progression to the next round by drawing or defeating Kenya.