Guinea need Serhou Guirassy firing after South Africa defeat

Guinea will need Serhou Guirassy to rediscover his scoring touch after opening their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a 2-1 defeat by South Africa.

The Dortmund striker began the club season in excellent form, scoring four goals and providing two assists in six matches before joining Guinea for the start of their qualification campaign.

Guirassy has also been a prolific scorer in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying. He finished among the leading scorers in the 2025 edition’s qualifiers with six goals, a tally bettered only by Morocco’s Brahim Diaz.

However, the 30-year-old did not find the net in the opening round of this campaign. Instead, he made his contribution in a different way by helping Guinea score an equaliser from a set-piece.

South Africa were still 1-0 ahead in the 69th minute when Guirassy stepped up to take a free-kick from a considerable distance. His effort went through the Bafana Bafana wall and dropped into the path of the unmarked Seydouba Cisse.

Cisse controlled the ball before sending it beyond South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams to bring the score level at 1-1.

Guirassy is not usually his team’s set-piece taker. His height and positioning in the penalty area are normally used to attack deliveries rather than take them. At Orlando Stadium, though, the forward found himself on the other side of that situation, taking the free-kick and unintentionally creating the opening for Cisse.

The delivery appeared intended as an effort on goal, although it did not clear the South African wall. Guinea benefited when the ball fell kindly for Cisse, who finished the chance.

It was a reminder of Guirassy’s importance even when he does not score himself. He had already won a free-kick in the fourth minute, although that opportunity came to nothing, and he was shown a yellow card towards the end of the first half.

Guirassy’s equaliser ultimately failed to earn Guinea a point, as South Africa scored again to claim victory. The result leaves the Syli National facing a difficult challenge in their next match against Kenya.

Kenya are already qualified as co-hosts, but the Harambee Stars will be seeking to make life difficult for Guinea while continuing their own preparations.

Guinea will play at home in Conakry on Thursday and will again look to Guirassy to provide chances of the quality he created against South Africa. More importantly, they will hope the Dortmund forward can deliver in the area where he is best known in Africa and beyond: scoring goals.