Guinea raise safety concerns ahead of AFCON 2027 qualifier against South Africa

Guinea have reportedly written to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) expressing concerns over the safety of their national team ahead of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against South Africa.

The two nations are set to meet in Group D of the AFCON 2027 qualifiers, which are scheduled to begin in September. The group also includes Eritrea and Kenya, although Kenya have already qualified automatically for the tournament as one of the three co-hosts alongside Tanzania and Uganda.

With Kenya’s place at the finals already secured, only one qualifying slot will effectively be available for South Africa, Guinea and Eritrea to compete for.

The qualification format has already attracted criticism from Guinea head coach Paulo Duarte, who described the system as unfair for teams placed in groups featuring host nations that receive automatic qualification.

Duarte argued that CAF should reconsider the structure of the qualifiers to ensure a level playing field for all participating teams.

Amid preparations for the qualifiers, reports indicate that the Guinean Football Federation has contacted CAF over security concerns surrounding their planned trip to South Africa.

According to Afrik-Foot, Guinea’s football authorities have raised concerns about the safety of their players and officials, citing recent anti-illegal immigration protests in parts of South Africa, where some groups have called for the removal of undocumented foreign nationals.

The dates and venues for the AFCON 2027 qualifying fixtures are yet to be officially confirmed by CAF. The continental football body is reportedly assessing Guinea’s concerns before deciding on the next steps.

South Africa and Guinea will be hoping to secure a place at the tournament, which will be hosted jointly by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in 2027.