Already eliminated, Guinea's SOAR Académie will attempt to salvage honor this Sunday in Cairo against Zamalek in the 6th and final group phase of the CAF Cup. The Guinean club had a complicated opening campaign.
Eliminated from the CAF Cup group phase even before the final day, with a record of four defeats and one draw, the stairway was very high for SOAR Académie. Despite drawing with Sagrada Esperança last week (0-0), the Super Olympien d'une Afrique Renaissante (SOAR), who picked up their first point at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké (Côte d'Ivoire), are already out of the competition. A premature exit analyzed by sports journalist Abdoul Hamid Bangoura.
"It was a disappointing campaign, with just one point so far. It's never easy to enter a competition for the first time. Lack of experience has played a decisive role," explains the journalist. SOAR is a team that likes to play soccer, but in competitions like these, you have to be pragmatic and efficient. And this elimination showed the real level of Guinean soccer. When you look at the difference between the clubs in the north and those in Guinea, the observation is implacable. There's a gap in levels. This gap can be bridged by training and tactical discipline in particular.
"This elimination proves the weakness of our championship"
On his part, Yarouga Camara finds an excuse. For this journalist, it's also the club's apprenticeship at the top level."This elimination proves the weakness of our championship. After the eliminations of Horoya AC and others, it's a blow to Guinean soccer. The league is starting late, and this has repercussions on the results of these clubs in interclub competitions. It was also his first participation at this level of competition. With a club like Zamalek, he couldn't have hoped for better," he says.
Playing away from home Of the four Guinean clubs involved in interclub competitions, only SOAR Académie has been able to benefit from the support of its fans. With no approved stadium, Guinea has seen its representatives in interclub competition host their matches away from home. Only SOAR Académie, who benefited from a CAF exemption, were able to count on the support of their fans in the second preliminary round against AFAD of Côte d'Ivoire.
"Hosting away matches doesn't help Guinean clubs.It's been a real handicap for SOAR Académie, who for the first time are playing all their matches away from home. We mustn't minimize the role of the twelfth man. We've seen Horoya AC hold off the likes of Al Ahly, Raja, Wydad Casablanca and even win some Champions League matches here in Conakry. With the support of the fans, anything can happen," says Abdoul Hamid Bangoura.
Yarouga Camara agrees."The relocation of the club's matches due to stadium non-approval was detrimental. Playing away from home didn't help either. The Guinean authorities need to do something about this, to enable Guinean clubs to benefit from public support".
Lack of competition
Stalled for several weeks, the championship only recently resumed with the end of the African Cup of Nations. To fill the void, the West Africa Champion's Cup was organized at the start of the season. But this was not enough for the Guinean clubs, particularly SOAR Académie. For Abdoul Hamid Bangoura, starting the interclub competitions without having started the national championship was detrimental to the club.
"The level of preparation is very important.Training is not enough to guarantee the tenacity of a 90-minute match. It's by playing a series of matches in the league that you manage to maintain the pace needed to tackle a competition like the CAF Cup and in this case, SOAR Académie paid the price. With a record of nine goals conceded in five matches and no goals scored so far, SOAR Académie are bottom of their group with just one point. After a 4-0 thrashing in the first leg, SOAR Académie will now take on Zamalek in Cairo (Egypt). The Guinean representative will be looking to score his first goal in the competition.
