Wednesday September 3, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia and Guinea meet on Friday in a low-stakes but high-pride fixture at the Mandela National Stadium in Kampala, with both nations searching for stability and respectability in what has been a disappointing CAF World Cup qualifying campaign.
Winless after six matches, Somalia sits bottom of Group G with just a single point and three goals scored. Their only point came in a goalless draw against Friday’s opponent, Guinea, back in March. The result illustrated the Ocean Stars’ rare defensive discipline, but little else to celebrate.
Guinea, fifth with seven points, remains mathematically alive but must win to keep faint hopes of catching Uganda or leaders Algeria. The Syli National stunned Algeria 2–1 last year but then lost to Mozambique and Uganda, a pattern of inconsistency that cost veteran coach Michel Dussuyer his job in August. New manager Paulo Duarte, appointed in August, begins his tenure here with a squad that still leans on Bundesliga forward Serhou Guirassy, who scored 28 goals in the Bundesliga last season, and former Liverpool midfielder Naby Keïta, whose experience remains vital in a transitional squad. Duarte’s challenge is to organise a team that has rarely strung together back-to-back positive results in recent years. Guinea has scored just five goals in six matches. Their defense, previously seen as a strength, has now failed to keep a clean sheet in seven of their last 10 matches.
The Ocean Stars enter this match on the back of five defeats in six outings, with their most recent result a 2-0 loss to Botswana. Head coach Yusuf Ali Nur has made changes in midfield and defence, calling up Connah’s Quay Nomads’ Abdi Sharif, the first Somali to feature in England’s Championship, for added experience and tactical control.
Somalia has not scored in its last two fixtures and has managed just one win in 19 World Cup qualifying matches since 2000, a 1-0 win over Zimbabwe in 2019. Their rebuilding project, focused largely on the diaspora, is still in its early stages.
Somalia continues to stage its “home” fixtures in Kampala, Uganda, because of ongoing security and logistical hurdles in Mogadishu. Playing away denies the Ocean Stars both the backing of local supporters and the symbolic lift of competing in their capital.
But there are visible efforts to change that. In May 2025, Mogadishu offered a glimpse of what a footballing future at home might look like. The city staged a FIFA- and CAF-backed “Legends Peace Tour,” with Samuel Eto’o, Jay-Jay Okocha and Emmanuel Adebayor lending their presence to an exhibition at the refurbished Mogadishu Stadium. It was the first such event in more than three decades, and though symbolic, it demonstrated that the security situation has improved sufficiently to allow international stars onto Somali soil.
Neither Somalia nor Guinea comes into this fixture with attacking conviction. Somalia’s overall qualifying record underlines the struggle, with an average of barely half a goal per game while conceding more than two. Yusuf Ali Nur’s side remains dependent on defensive resilience to stay competitive, but a lack of creativity in midfield has made scoring a persistent challenge.
Guinea’s form has been no less erratic. The federation hopes to benefit from Paulo Duarte’s résumé, which includes guiding Burkina Faso to two Africa Cup of Nations semifinals and spells in charge of Gabon and Togo. Friday will mark his first competitive test in charge.
