Kamil Zayatte urges Guinea to make home advantage count in AFCON qualifiers

Former Guinean international Kamil Zayatte believes South Africa will be the biggest obstacle standing in Guinea’s path during the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

Speaking after the draw for the qualifiers, the former defender offered a cautious assessment of Group D, which includes Guinea, South Africa, Kenya and Eritrea, warning that the Syli National must prepare for a difficult route to the continental tournament.

“A team is strong when it plays in front of its home crowd.”

In an interview with Guineenews, Zayatte pointed to South Africa as the strongest side in the group, insisting the country has steadily built a competitive team in recent years.

The former Guinean defender described the South Africans as the benchmark team in the group and stressed that Guinea would need to approach the qualification campaign with caution and discipline.

Zayatte also warned against underestimating Eritrea despite the nation’s lower profile in African football, while noting that Kenya’s presence would further increase the difficulty of the group even though the East African country has already qualified automatically as one of the hosts of the 2027 tournament.

Beyond the draw itself, the former defender believes one of Guinea’s biggest challenges will be the absence of true home support.

The Syli National have spent several years playing matches away from Guinea, with home fixtures staged mainly in Morocco and occasionally in Ivory Coast.

According to Zayatte, travelling to face teams such as South Africa and Kenya will be demanding, making it even more important for Guinea to rediscover the advantage of playing in front of their own supporters.

The former international also used the opportunity to send a message to Guinea supporters, urging fans to remain patient and continue backing the national team as the current coaching staff attempt to build a competitive side for the future.

Zayatte highlighted the performances of Guinean striker Serhou Guirassy, who impressed during the Champions League season, while also praising the emergence of young talents and dual-nationality players joining the national setup.

He believes those factors give Guinea a strong foundation to compete successfully during the qualification campaign.

Away from the national team discussion, Zayatte explained that he remains active in football development through his academy, which has helped several young players secure opportunities in Europe and other African countries.

He also spoke about the “School Cup” initiative launched with partners and in collaboration with the Ministry of National Education for children aged between seven and 12.