Football news - Morocco flee Guinea following attempted coup, Liverpool working on Naby Keita return
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ByEurosport
Published 06/09/2021 at 11:13 GMT
The Moroccan team have left Guinea after an attempted coup. They were, according to multiple reports, escorted out of the West African country by embassy officials after initially being confined to their hotel. Liverpool, meanwhile, have confirmed they have opened dialogue with relevant authorities as they seek to arrange the return of Naby Keita to the UK.
Members of Guinea's armed forces celebrate after the arrest of Guinea's president, Alpha Conde, in a coup d'etat in Conakry on September 5, 2021. - Guinean special forces seized power in a coup on September 5, arresting the president and imposing an indef
Image credit: Getty Images
The World Cup qualification match between Guinea and Morocco that was due to take place on Monday has been postponed due to a coup d’état in Guinea.
According to a report from the BBC, soldiers claim - in an unverified video - to have seized power from president Alpha Condé. This reported coup came after hours of gunfire in Guinea’s capital, Conakry, where the match was due to take place.
A statement from FIFA read: “The current political and security situation in Guinea is quite volatile and is being closely monitored by FIFA and CAF.
“To ensure the safety and security of all players and to protect all match officials, FIFA and CAF have decided to postpone the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifying match Guinea vs. Morocco, which had scheduled to be hosted in Conakry, Guinea, on Monday 6 September.
“Rescheduling information will be made available at a later date.”
The Moroccan team were stranded in their hotel and coach Vahid Halilhodzic told French newspaper L’Equipe on Sunday:
We're at the hotel, gunshots could be heard nearby all day. We're waiting for permission to leave for the airport but we're stranded for now.
"A plane is waiting for us, but we are not allowed to leave. And to get to the airport, it takes between 45 minutes to an hour. When you hear gunshots outside, safety is not 100% guaranteed.
“I was told there was a possibility that the game would be played in Morocco, but I don't know. For now we're stuck there, let's see how it goes. We wait. I hope we get back to Morocco before the end of the day.”
The team would later be escorted out of Guinea by the embassy, with Achraf Hakimi taking to social media to say that he and the team had arrived safely in Morocco after an "intense day".
Those involved in the coup have claimed to have dissolved the government and closed all land and air borders. Liverpool player Naby Keita remains in the country and the club are working on his return to England.
A spokesperson for the club said: "We are in constant contact with Naby and have had regular communication via his national team management. We are satisfied that he is safe and well cared for.
"Obviously the situation is fluid and we will maintain regular dialogue with the relevant authorities as we work to get Naby back to Liverpool in a timely and secure manner."
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