Montpellier, Guinea, targets... Issiaga Sylla speaks openly

After the summer pre-season, the new campaign is about to get under way this weekend. How are you feeling?

Issiaga Sylla: I'm feeling good, physically too. We've had a good pre-season and now we can't wait for the league to start.

From the club's point of view, what are the expectations for this season?

Issiaga Sylla: To finish in the top seven. That's the aim of the club's board.

Last season Brest had a surprising run. Is that something that's on people's minds at Montpellier, as a way of causing a surprise?

Issiaga Sylla: It's true they had a great season. When you see that, you inevitably think, why not us? Especially when you look at the pre-season, everything we've done. You tell yourself we have to do something this year.

How do you find the Montpellier squad this season, and have there been any changes compared with last season?

Issiaga Sylla: There hasn't been any major change. We had a good pre-season and good discussions with the coach. Everyone knows what awaits us this year. It's pretty much the same group, we've just talked more among ourselves and we've been asked to dig in a bit more to reach our objective.

Read also: Montpellier: Issiaga Sylla wants to rediscover his form

You have been playing in the French league since 2012. How do you explain such longevity?

Issiaga Sylla: It's true I've been here a long time, but it's a league I followed before I arrived and that I like a lot. I still love Ligue 1 and my career too, which I'm proud of. And it's not over, I want to keep going.

What is your secret for such longevity?

Issiaga Sylla: I get asked that a lot, but I don't have an answer. The only thing is that I recover a lot. I rest a lot at home. I eat well, I drink well and I recover well. That's what has helped me stay at this level for so long.

Given your longevity, how do you judge the evolution of Ligue 1?

Issiaga Sylla: It's a league that has developed well and gained in stature. It evolves every year, and we've seen it again with new rules brought in for referees. It's enjoyable to play in and personally it's a league I've always liked, even back when I was in Guinea.

Won't there be more competition at left-back this season?

Issiaga Sylla: There's always been competition anyway, it's part of football. For me, it's not a problem. To be good and to play, you have to train and be good in training. Then the manager makes his choices. But at my level I have no fear of the competition.

Alongside the club, there's also the Guinea national team. Did you follow the team's run at the 2024 Olympics?

Issiaga Sylla: I watched every match. It's a shame because there was room to do better, but well... The opponents were tough, that's true, but we could have done better.

Shortly afterwards, national team coach Kaba Diawara was dismissed. Many players reacted to that decision. Is it a choice you understand?

Issiaga Sylla: You know, in Africa it's often like that. People are impatient. As soon as there are no results, there's a change. If it were up to me, I wouldn't have made that decision. It's the Federation's choice, at our level we're only players.

Speaking of the pitch, the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers begin in September. Given your campaign in Ivory Coast, will you feel a little sense of revenge?

Issiaga Sylla: Yes, of course, because we could have done better at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. But first the aim will be to qualify. We have two matches to start with, we need to string results together to get off to a good start. The aim is to win both.

But once again you will play these qualifiers far from the Guinean public because there is no approved stadium. It's a situation that has lasted for years. Isn't that frustrating?

Issiaga Sylla: It hurts me. With all the talent in this team, it hurts not to play at home in front of our own fans. It's down to the government to get things done. Anyway, it's a situation I don't like at all. Playing away every time makes things harder for us and I'm not happy about it.