While club battles continue on European football fields, the strongest national teams in Africa will compete to determine a new champion. The objective reality is that not every team travels to the tournament with the goal of competing for medals. For some, success could be as simple as earning a single point in the group stage. One such team is the Guinea-Bissau national team, and this material will be dedicated to them.
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Article Breakdown
Team’s Preparation for the Tournament
“Unity, Struggle, Development” – this is the motto of the small country located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 2 million, this state can hardly count on progress in any area without considering the three important words from its motto. Guinea-Bissau is one of the poorest countries in the world, with two-thirds of its population living below the poverty line. In such conditions, football can become an exception and an additional positive factor designed to add joy to the everyday lives of citizens. However, for the football players, this motto is also very important as it defines the team’s style.
Guinea-Bissau first qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2017 (the country was a colony of Portugal until 1973). In their first match, the team managed to impress the world by securing a draw with Gabon (1-1, the equalizer to Aubameyang’s goal was scored in injury time). Losses to Cameroon and Burkina Faso left Guinea-Bissau in last place in their group. This first experience may not have looked as dreamed, but it was undoubtedly necessary.
Two years later, they finished in the last spot again, repeating their record from the first tournament. Guinea-Bissau earned 1 point (a draw with Benin), losing to Cameroon and Ghana. In the winter of 2022, they again secured 1 point and finished last in their group. A draw with Sudan and losses to Egypt and Nigeria led to Guinea-Bissau being one of the two teams in the tournament that did not score a single goal against their opponents. The other team was Mauritania.
Guinea-Bissau Coaching Staff and Player Selection
Some experts may believe that the Guinea-Bissau national team looks the same as its former capital, Bissau – neglected, broken, and ruined. The capital of Portuguese Guinea (the country’s name until 1973) seems to have been stuck in the past. Everything to make the national team look different is reflected in the work of Baciro Cande. He has been working with Guinea-Bissau with breaks since 2001 and is a true icon for the country, as he is credited with continental successes.
As for the squad of the Guinea-Bissau national team at the Africa Cup of Nations, one of the interesting players is the representative of French Lyon – Mama Balde. The 28-year-old forward occasionally takes the field for this prominent club, but his form looks the same as that of Lyon: 10 matches and 0 goals (although in the previous season with Troyes, he scored 12 goals).
A real discovery this season could be Frankulino. After a successful performance in Benfica’s second team (13 goals in 7 matches), the 19-year-old forward moved to Midtjylland in Denmark. There he scored 6 goals in 14 matches in the Danish Superliga. In addition to this, 1 goal in the Danish Cup and 5 goals in 3 matches in the Conference League. Perhaps we would have seen more great performances from this player in European competitions, but Midtjylland was eliminated in the qualifiers by Legia Warsaw.
What to Expect From the Team
The logical option for Guinea-Bissau looks like the last place and the traditional 1 point in the group. Losses to Ivory Coast and Nigeria will not be as tragic if they manage to draw with Equatorial Guinea. Hoping for more is difficult, as the squad looks weak and is unlikely to give hope even to the most dedicated fans of Guinea-Bissau. The only chance: the help of shamans, whose skills are regularly practiced in this country.
Our prediction: 4th place in the group.