Guinea Opts Out of June International Break Due to World Cup Elimination
In a surprising turn of events, Guinea has made the decision to abstain from participating in the upcoming June international break. While most national teams are utilizing this period to prepare and strengthen their squads, the Guinean Football Federation has decided to cancel their planned friendlies against Tunisia and Niger.
Reports from ConakrySports indicate that the Ministry of Sports in Guinea intervened and called off the training camp. The government’s rationale behind this abrupt cancellation is straightforward: they do not see the value in allocating funds towards matches when Guinea’s chances of advancing in the World Cup are slim. With qualifiers set to resume in September, officials believe that participating in these June matches would serve little purpose. A government source emphasized, “Why invest in a competition where we are no longer in contention? Feguifoot needs to focus on becoming financially independent.”
This decision by the ministry highlights a growing dissatisfaction with the federation’s reliance on public funding for organizing friendlies. In many African countries, federations have shifted towards arranging such matches autonomously or accepting invitations to minimize costs. Guinea’s choice to forgo the June matches signifies a potential change in how football activities will be financed in the future, leaving the national team without any competitive action this month.
