“Let CAF just apply its regulations”, Michel Dussuyer announces a reservation after the elimination of Guinea [Exclu]

Guinea, beaten (0-1) by Tanzania on Tuesday in Dar es Salam, is virtually eliminated from CAN 2025. But the Guinean Federation has filed a complaint concerning the presence on the field of a Tanzanian player. Michel Dussuyer, the French coach of Syli National, agreed to provide details exclusively for Afrik-Foot.

Quarter-finalist of the last CAN in Ivory Coast, the Guinea is eliminated from the 2025 edition in Morocco, as we write these lines, after its defeat in Tanzania. But things could change, since the Guinean Federation has filed a reservation about the Tanzanian defender Muhamed Ibrahim Ame, who entered the game with the jersey number 26. However, on the match sheet, the Mashujaa FC player was registered with the number 24.

And the regulations of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) are clear, as stipulated in article 47. “ For any administrative error in the registration of players, the national association concerned will be suspended from participation in the following edition (…) » Before his return to France on the evening of Wednesday, November 20, Michel Dussuyer returned to this fact, as well as to the change of schedule imposed by CAF forty-eight hours before kick-off.

Interview conducted by Alexis Billebault,

The Federation Guinean Did she file a reservation after the match?

Yes, I confirm it to you. The reservation was officially filed, it took over an hour. We noticed that this Tanzanian player was wearing the jersey with the number 26, even though he was listed on the match sheet with the number 24. It seems quite obvious to me that this is an administrative error. And the CAF regulations are very specific in this case.

If this is respected, the Tanzania will be disqualified, in favor of Guinea…

There is a whole procedure. We filed a reservation, which was transmitted to the CAF, which will appoint a commission to rule. If Tanzania has indeed made a mistake, which appears to be the case, CAF will simply have to apply its own regulations, which would just be normal.

« A change of schedule forty-eight hours before kick-off, there is reason to be surprised »

Did FEGUIFOOT also protest against the change in kick-off time imposed 48 hours before the match in Dar es Salaam?

Here again, there is reason to be surprised. I guess Tanzania didn’t find out two days before the match that the stadium had lighting problems. However, CAF validated this change of schedule: we had to play at 7 p.m., and the kickoff of the match has been brought forward by three hours. And this is not without consequences.

Not only did this change part of our preparation, but it was still very hot – almost 32° – and the Tanzanians, who almost all play in their country, were more used to it than us. This was seen in the level of the races, the intensity. I admit that I do not understand how this decision could have been taken so late. Our Secretary General, Ibrahim Blasco Barry, alerted CAF on this subject. I haven’t looked at the rules yet, but I don’t know if such a late change is possible.

Did you notice anything surprising during this match?

Let’s say that I was quite surprised at the little additional time that was granted by the referee Zimbabwean… Only four minutes, while the Tanzanians celebrated their goal for a long time, their goalkeeper, after a shock, remained on the ground for a long time and there were changes made by the two coaches. This doesn’t explain our defeat, but let’s say that there are a number of things that may be surprising…