Guinea’s much-anticipated Olympic football debut ended in disappointment as they fell to a 2-1 defeat against New Zealand in Nice on Wednesday.
The West African side found themselves on the wrong end of a closely fought encounter in their opening match of the Paris 2024 Men’s Olympic Football Tournament.
The match began with Guinea showing perhaps too much enthusiasm, as their aggressive play led to early fouls and a penalty awarded to New Zealand.
However, fortune favoured the Syli when New Zealand captain Matthew Garbett failed to convert from the spot in the 22nd minute.
Guinea’s relief was short-lived. Just two minutes later, Garbett made amends for his penalty miss, striking with his right foot to give the Oceania side the lead. The goal served as a wake-up call for Kaba Diawara’s men, who had entered the tournament with high hopes.
The second half saw Guinea emerge with renewed vigour. Aliou Baldé thought he had drawn his side level, only for VAR to intervene and rule out the equaliser.
Undeterred, the Syli continued to press forward, and their persistence paid off in the 72nd minute when Amadou Diawara found himself unmarked at the edge of the box. The midfielder unleashed a stunning strike that sent the large contingent of Guinean supporters in Nice into raptures.
However, the joy was to be short-lived. Just four minutes after Guinea’s equaliser, New Zealand’s Waine silenced the African fans, restoring his team’s lead with what proved to be the winning goal.
The defeat will be a bitter pill to swallow for Guinea, particularly for their captain Naby Keita. The former Liverpool midfielder, who had the honour of being the flag bearer for the entire Guinean Olympic delegation, was unable to inspire his team to victory on this occasion.
Despite the setback, Guinea showed flashes of the quality that saw them overcome Argentina in their final warm-up match. They will need to regroup quickly, however, as their next challenge comes against tournament hosts France on Saturday.
The dream of Olympic glory is still alive, but they now face an uphill battle in a tough group that includes the hosts and reigning Olympic champions Brazil.
Saturday’s clash with France now takes on added importance as Guinea seek to keep their medal hopes alive in Paris.