Guinea v Kenya: kick-off time, broadcast details and key Africa Cup of Nations qualifying storylines

Guinea face Kenya on Thursday in the second round of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, with the Syli National returning to the Stade du 28 septembre in Conakry after an absence of around four to five years.

The match carries added importance for both Guinea and manager Paulo Duarte. Guinea began Group D with a 2-1 defeat by South Africa in Johannesburg on 26 September and are currently bottom of the section. Seydouba Cisse scored their only goal in that match.

Kick-off is scheduled for 18:00 France time, or 16:00 in Guinea, which is on GMT. The game will be played in front of a full house at the Stade du 28 septembre, which is reopening to supporters after several months of renovation work.

No broadcaster has been announced in France. In Guinea, the match is expected to be shown live on RTG.

Duarte is under significant pressure after Guinea extended their winless run to five matches. Another poor result against Kenya, who are ranked 110th in the FIFA rankings, would further weaken the position of the highly criticised manager.

The Guinea coach is expected to make at least one change in goal. Soumaila Sylla’s place in the starting line-up is uncertain, with Mohamed Richard Camara a possible replacement.

There is also a personal milestone within reach for Serhou Guirassy. The Borussia Dortmund striker would move level with Naby Keita and Elo Yattara as Guinea’s joint-leading active scorers on 12 goals if he scores against the Harambee Stars.

Guirassy has not found the net for his country in his past two matches, while Guinea will be seeking a result that can revive their qualifying campaign and mark their return to the Stade du 28 septembre with a victory.

Guinea and Kenya have met six times, with each side winning three matches. Their most recent meeting ended in a 3-2 victory for Guinea in Conakry on 12 October 2008, in a qualifying match for the 2010 World Cup.

The fixture will therefore be the latest chapter in an evenly balanced head-to-head record, while Guinea attempt to recover from their opening defeat and avoid falling further behind in Group D.