Le Havre - Abdoulaye Touré: "Lifting the group up"

How do you feel after your 1-1 draw with Saint-Etienne, who are direct rivals in the battle to stay up?

Abdoulaye Touré: Given the game, and given the result of the Lens match before Saint-Etienne, there was a bit of disappointment because we wanted to back up that good result at Lens (a 4-3 away win). That said, they're direct rivals, so these games naturally matter a bit more than the others, but at least we didn't lose and we still keep Saint-Etienne behind us. That was the pre-match message: whatever happened, they had to stay behind us. We'd have liked to win this game, and in the end we only took a point, but in any case they stay behind us.

On Sunday you have a fairly tricky trip to Lyon, who are in form. Have you planned to make life a little easier by lodging a protest over Almada?

Abdoulaye Touré: (Laughs) No, we're not into that. What matters to us is what happens on the pitch. It's true that it's going to be very tough. They're a side in really good form with some fine individuals, but we'll go there with our own weapons. It's true that away from home is going quite well for us at the moment, but every opponent is different and Lyon are another one. We'll try to get the best possible result, but in any case there are still 9 games left, if my memory serves me, and they're going to be important. The aim is to take as many points as possible to try to stay in Ligue 1 next season.

"We have a healthy group"

You're bottom of Ligue 1 at home, yet level with Brest (9th) and Monaco (4th) away from home. That's quite a contrast. What explains it?

Abdoulaye Touré: Honestly, I couldn't say. If I had the answer, I'd have shared it with the group. But the ease we have away from home, we have to bring back to our own ground. From my limited experience, and at all the clubs I've been at, I've always been told to be strong at home and try to pick up as many points as possible away. Right now it's rather the opposite and that's a shame, because quite a lot of people come to watch us at the stadium for every home game and I hope they'd have liked to see a completely different side from us.

Day to day you're around a lot of young players in the squad. With a player like André Ayew, you're among the most experienced. What do you bring to them, and do they ask for advice?

Abdoulaye Touré: We have a pretty healthy group to begin with. I wouldn't say they're eager to learn, but it's more about small tweaks in the heat of the moment. Whether it's Loïc Nego, André Ayew, Mathieu Gorgelin or the older ones, we're there to offer little bits of advice to lift the group up and keep it as tight-knit as possible. Besides, we're a fairly young group and everyone gets on well, so it's not necessarily status that counts. A younger player can also have advice to give, and vice versa.

Read also: Guinea - Abdoulaye Touré: "We were welcomed like presidents"

"We were better than DR Congo"

Let's talk about the Guinea national team. How do you feel about missing out on qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations?

Abdoulaye Touré: It's a big disappointment because, with no disrespect to the other teams, the group was very much within our reach. You could say the biggest contenders were Congo (DR Congo), but personally I think we were better than Congo and deserved to finish top and qualify. But every game is difficult in Africa, and it's not enough just to say it, you have to do it as well. There were plenty of games where we slipped up and, speaking frankly, I think today we deserve our elimination because we didn't really do what was needed.

This month you face Somalia and Uganda in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. Imagining Guinea at a World Cup, that would be incredible, wouldn't it?

Abdoulaye Touré: Personally, even playing at an Africa Cup of Nations was once unthinkable, and thinking about the World Cup would be unimaginable because Guinea have never played at a World Cup, and to be so well placed on the verge of qualification (Guinea are 4th in Group G with 6 points from 4 games), even though there are still quite a few games to go, it's perfectly achievable. As I said earlier, with no disrespect to the other teams, in our group we have the heavyweight, Algeria (1st with 9 points), whom we managed to beat on their own ground (1-2 in the 3rd round on 6 June 2024). There are also teams like Mozambique (2nd with 9 points) who are very tough too, and that shows the level in Africa is very high. The road is still fairly long but the aim is clearly to qualify, and for me it would be a huge achievement in my career.

"To the young players: be proud to be African"

Regarding Serhou Guirassy, your international team-mate, has he given you the secret of his form?

Abdoulaye Touré: No. There's not necessarily a secret. I think hard work comes first. What's good about Sehrou is that, despite his current form, he's very humble and a good listener and, speaking frankly, I'm older than him (31 against 29 for Guirassy), but at international level he's the one with the most experience in the collective, and that doesn't stop him being a very good listener. He's able to give advice but also to take it on board, and if he's where he is today, it's no coincidence. He deserves it and I wish him all the best so that he can do even better.

What advice would you give to young players in Africa who are on the rise?

Abdoulaye Touré: First of all, they have to be proud to be African. To represent their nations well, because Africa is becoming more and more important internationally. To believe in themselves, work hard and above all, the foundation is not to forget where we come from, because we have strong origins and I don't see why we should deny them or set them aside. People often say Africa is the future but, for me, it's the past, the present and the future too? It should be a source of motivation, and knowing as I walk that I'm Guinean and above all African is the most important thing, and wherever we go, we should be proud of that identity.

Hedi-Sofiane NOUAR