Left out of Guinea’s latest squad, captain Naby Keita, who plays for Ferencvaros, has seen his adviser Thiero Amadou Makadji publicly accuse head coach Paulo Duarte of a lack of transparency.
Guinea’s preparations for their AFCON qualifiers have been plunged into chaos, according to Goal.com South Africa, after a public spat between head coach Paulo Duarte and the camp of captain Naby Keita. The Ferencvaros midfielder, based in Hungary, was absent from the latest squad.
According to the same source, the omission, described as a shock, led to explosive allegations about the player’s commitment to the national team. The affair now pits two versions against each other: the head coach’s and the captain’s adviser’s.
A row played out in public
Thiero Amadou Makadji, the captain’s adviser, reacted furiously. He claims the coach is not being transparent about the situation and maintains that Keita had in fact been selected for previous gatherings, before his name was removed from the list at the last minute. “The evidence exists, and you can check it. So what game is he playing?” he said, as quoted by Goal.com South Africa and Soccer Laduma.
These remarks remain allegations, made by a close associate of the player, and have not been verified from the available evidence.
Duarte had warned back in September
The adviser’s outburst echoes comments made by the head coach in September. With several players left out of the squad to face Bafana Bafana, Paulo Duarte explained his approach: “I called players once, twice, and they didn’t answer. Do you want me to keep calling players who don’t want to come to the national team?” he said, according to Goal.com South Africa.
The head coach added, with irony: “Maybe when I leave, the players will come back.”
A double-header against Eritrea
Guinea are preparing for a crucial double-header against Eritrea in AFCON qualifying. That is the context in which the controversy surrounding Naby Keita has arisen.
There is no reaction from the Guinean federation to Thiero Amadou Makadji’s accusations in the report.