Guinea striker Serhou Guirassy returns to Dortmund, misses final World Cup qualifier

Guinea forward Serhou Guirassy has left the national team camp and returned to Borussia Dortmund, ruling him out of the country’s final 2026 World Cup qualifying match.

The Franco-Guinean striker, who missed the 2-1 victory over Mozambique due to muscle pain, will also sit out Tuesday’s clash with Botswana.

Guirassy departed for Germany via Casablanca on Friday to continue his recovery, according to Foot224.

The 28-year-old forward has enjoyed an impressive spell with Dortmund this season but continues to struggle with recurring fitness issues.

His absence dealt a significant blow to Paulo Duarte’s side, who had hoped to end their qualifying campaign on a positive note.

Guinea, already eliminated from contention for the 2026 World Cup, secured a 2-1 victory against Mozambique on Thursday.

The win came through a standout performance from 18-year-old Abdoul Karim Traoré, who scored twice in Guirassy’s absence.

Despite the victory, the Syli National’s hopes of reaching the global showpiece ended earlier in the campaign after a series of inconsistent results.

Guirassy’s return to Germany underscores Guinea’s difficult qualifying journey, marked by injuries to key players and an inability to convert strong performances into consistent results.

His decision to focus on recovery aligns with Borussia Dortmund’s efforts to ensure he remains fit for upcoming Bundesliga fixtures.

The final qualifier against Botswana, scheduled for Tuesday, holds little competitive value for the Guineans.

With elimination confirmed, the match will instead serve as an opportunity for Duarte to experiment with younger players and assess potential replacements ahead of the team’s rebuilding phase.

Guinea will also miss out on next year’s Africa Cup of Nations, further emphasizing the need for a strategic overhaul.

Duarte faces the challenge of reigniting a squad that once showed promise but fell short in crucial moments of the qualification campaign.

Guirassy’s injury and early departure highlight Guinea’s broader issues of squad depth and resilience.

As the national side looks toward future tournaments, the focus will likely shift to nurturing emerging talents such as Traoré while ensuring experienced players like Guirassy return fully fit.

The Syli National’s supporters, though disappointed by the early exit, will hope the upcoming friendly-style fixture against Botswana provides a glimpse into the team’s next generation.

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🚨𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗵𝗼𝘂 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲 𝗮̀ 𝗗𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗱

❌Forfait face au Mozambique (douleur musculaire), l’attaquant du Syli National ne sera également pas disponible face au Botswana.

✈️Il retourne en Allemagne ce vendredi via Casablanca.
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— F⚽⚽T224.COM (@FOOT_224) October 10, 2025