Guinea fans set for home return as Conakry stadium receives CAF approval

Guinea’s national team will be able to play in front of their own supporters again during the next international window after the Stade 28 Septembre in Conakry was provisionally approved by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The decision, announced by the Guinean Football Federation (Feguifoot) on Saturday, comes ahead of the start of the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. The qualifying window is scheduled to run from 21 September to 6 October.

Feguifoot described the development as an “excellent news” for supporters and published the CAF correspondence confirming the temporary homologation of the stadium.

The Stade 28 Septembre had been closed to official matches for five years. It has now been granted provisional approval following rehabilitation work, allowing the national team – known as the Syli National – to return to Conakry for the opening fixtures of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

Guinea had been forced to stage its home matches outside the country in recent months because the stadium did not have the required approval. The team played in either Cote d’Ivoire or Morocco during that period.

The CAF decision also means Guinean clubs will be permitted to host matches in Guinea in African inter-club competitions, rather than having to arrange their home fixtures abroad.

However, the approval is not permanent. CAF stressed that the stadium still requires further work before it can meet all of the organisation’s standards.

“CAF wishes to clarify, however, that this approval is granted on a temporary basis and for a limited period, given that certain points remain to be corrected in order to ensure the stadium’s full compliance with the applicable CAF requirements,” the governing body said.

The Ministry of Sports and Feguifoot said they remained committed to completing the outstanding work and addressing the remaining issues.

“The Ministry of Sports and Feguifoot reaffirm their determination to continue, without delay, the work and corrective measures still required in order to achieve the complete, lasting and definitive compliance of Stade 28 Septembre with CAF requirements,” they said.

The provisional decision therefore provides immediate relief for Guinea’s national team and clubs, while also leaving the authorities with further responsibilities before the stadium can secure definitive approval.

For the Syli National, the most immediate consequence is the prospect of beginning the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying process at home. After a prolonged period of playing in Cote d’Ivoire and Morocco, the team can now prepare to reconnect with its supporters in Conakry during the next international window.