Waasland-Beveren fullback Ibrahim Diallo is confident that Guinea will appear in better form for the upcoming African Cup of Nations under the guidance of Coach Michel Dussuyer.
“The national team has gone through a lot of changes and had to lay down new foundations,” Diallo told FIFA.com. "You could see all that in the qualifiers for the African Cup of Nations. We were all on a high after knocking out Nigeria, but we need to stay cool and stick to our principles."
Guinea qualified for the African Cup at the expense of giant Nigeria in the African qualifiers, but are now bracing for a tough mission in the African competition with a group including title favourites such as Ghana, Mali and qualifier surprise Botswana.
“Qualification was just one step; the hardest part is still ahead of us. We’re hungry and full of ambition, and I’m sure we’re going to give the best possible account of ourselves,” said Diallo.
“At the very least, we’ll be able to look ourselves in the mirror if the worst comes to the worst and we lose all three of our games to stronger opposition,” Diallo added. “We’ve got what it takes to pull together, and if we stay strong and solid, we should be able to do anything.”
Concerning Guinea coach Michel Dussuyer, Diallo confirmed the role he played in getting the team back up and running after failing to qualify for the previous African Cup.
“He’s put together a balanced team made up of veterans – players like me who’ve been around for nearly three years now, and a handful of youngsters,” said Diallo. “Everyone’s pitching in and learning things. We’ve got a close-knit team and we all want to do well.”
“He likes to maintain the highest standards, both on and off the pitch,” Diallo said of Dussuyer.
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