Naby Keita Doubtful for Guinea’s AFCON Opener Against Madagascar

Naby Keita faces a race to be fit for Guinea’s Africa Cup of Nations opener with Madagascar as the Liverpool Star is currently nursing a thigh injury.

The winger hurt his adductor in the early stages of Liverpool’s semi-final first leg clash at Barcelona on May 1 with manager Jurgen Klopp saying the injury would keep him out for eight weeks.

Despite that, Guinea coach Paul Put named the influential player in the final 23-man squad for the tournament stating that he still has a chance to be ready despite being not fully fit.

Keita has himself declared that he will not be fit for the game in an interview with a Guinean TV, though he believes that he will play against the Barea.

“I am not yet fully fit to play. After training with the ball at Liverpool, I have arrived at the Guinean training camp in Morocco and I am ready to train with the team,” said Keita.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] “I want to reassure Guinean supporters, the coaches and the rest of the squad that I believe I will be ready for our first match.”   [/perfectpullquote]

The danger of the Syli Nationale technical bench sticking with Keita, if he is any less effective than he usually is, playing within a team wired to give him the ball, it would effectively neuter the side’s attacking thrust.

Guinea, who have lost warm-up matches against the Gambia and Benin, will play Madagascar on June 22, one day after the tournament kicks off.

The Syli Nationale will play their second match against Nigeria on 26 June and will wrap up their group campaign with a match against Burundi four days later.

Guinea came closest to winning the Cup of Nations in 1976, when they finished runners-up to Morocco after the only edition decided by a mini-league.