Independent since October 2, 1958, it wasn't until 1960 that Guinea's first national soccer team was formed. Players were recruited from the country's various districts and prefectures. Dacky Mbor Camara was the first captain in the history of the Guinean national team. The nonagenarian looks back on a career marked by highs and lows.
A few months after gaining independence, Guinea formed its first national team. On the ruins of the former colonial clubs, the Syli National will see the light of day. To bring the team up to scratch, Guinea travelled to Germany and Hungary for training camps. The team would later go on to shine on the continental and regional scene in particular.
Now 90, Dacky Mbor Camara was the first captain. He looks back on the episode that propelled him to the forefront of the game with the armband of newly-independent Guinea."After independence, all the colonial teams were disbanded to form a national team between 1959 and 60, to represent Guinea internationally. I was selected in Conakry. And I was among the group that went to Hungary to play. During that period, Hungary was a great soccer nation, one of the best teams in the world in the 1960s," explains the nonagenarian. And he continues. "After the players had been selected to form the first Guinea team, a captain had to be found. There were two candidates, my friend Aboubacar Barate and myself.To decide between us, a vote was organized.At the end of the vote, I was elected captain and Aboubacar Barate Camara was vice-captain.The group had confidence in me.In fact, I was the oldest member of the group", reveals Dacky Mbor Camara.
This national team, captained by Dacky M'bor Camara, has had its moments of glory, but also of failure.
This monument of Guinean soccer has enjoyed some successes, during his years in the national team with the captain's armband. "At the time, there wasn't a big organization to organize major competitions on the continent. As a result, we played in the PDG Cup (named after the single party in Guinea).What's more, after our training camps in Germany, Hungary or even Yugoslavia, we Guineans played a lot with West African countries such as Mali, Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal, among others," he recalls. After the dissolution of the colonial clubs, we played in the PDG Cup, which I was lucky enough to win.I was one of the players who took part in this competition.And twice.Both times I played in the tournament, we won two cups," recalls former captain M'bor Camara.
Prison after a defeat
After Guinea gained independence, the regime established a reign of terror.Some opponents were imprisoned, others executed.Even footballers did not escape. Many of them were imprisoned.After a defeat by Liberia, many were deprived of their freedom."Back then, we worked hard.I remember once we played a match against Liberia. We lost (1-0). It was a hard-fought game against Liberia. A defeat that didn't go down well with the authorities," recalls Dacky Mbor Camara. After the match, it was purgatory. The Minister of Sport at the time, Toumany Sangaré, summoned us to the stadium. When we got there, we found a large security detail. The minister scolded us, telling us that we hadn't represented the country well. He asked us to explain. Immediately afterwards, the police loaded us onto buses to take us to prison. We spent a few days there before being released", recalls the nonagenarian.
It's a journey fraught with obstacles, but one that bears witness to the player's achievements. Now 90 years old, Dacky Mbor Camara spends his days in peace in his Conakry home. Like Maître Naby Camara and Ibrahima Kandia Diallo, he belongs to the first generation of sportsmen and women who gave Guinean sport its letters of nobility right after the country gained independence.
