Stade du 28 Septembre de Conakry: between CAF approval and federations crisis

Among the recommendations made by the inspection mission of the Confédération africaine de football (CAF) for the approval of Stade du 28 Septembre is the removal of physical obstacles around the sports complex. Among the targeted structures are the headquarters of the Comité national olympique et sportif guinéen, as well as the gym of the Fédération guinéenne de handball.

The Alert from the Fédération guinéenne de handball

This approach is not making everyone happy. With no alternative or prospect of relocation, the Fédération guinéenne de handball has raised its voice to denounce the imminent destruction of its headquarters. In a statement, the body recalled that this gymnasium has hosted many international tournaments.

“This complex has proudly hosted numerous national, continental, and international tournaments in handball, football, sambo, etc. On November 27, 2025, the Minister of Sports, Keamou Bogola Haba, ordered the immediate start of the second phase of the Stade du 28 Septembre rehabilitation works, which includes the construction of a new multisport gymnasium. Seven months after this directive, no work has yet begun,” reads the statement. “Today, our female and male handball players are actively preparing for eight African and world competitions. Yet, Guinea does not have any other facility that meets standards for their handball training.”

Faced with an increasingly worrying situation, the executive board of the Fédération guinéenne de handball has spoken out to denounce the announced demolition of its gymnasium. It threatens to withdraw Guinea from all handball competitions in which its teams are supposed to take part. “If the current gymnasium is destroyed without a replacement facility being built first, the federation will be forced to withdraw its national teams from all African and world competitions. We refuse to enter our athletes without proper preparation. Our federation does not compete simply to make up the numbers, but to honor the country,” says the executive committee of the feguihand.

This warning came in a particular context. Freshly crowned winner of the World Challenge Trophy 2026 in the cadet girls and junior women’s categories, Guinean handball is experiencing a period of turbulence. The announced destruction of the country’s only gymnasium and the absence of an alternative solution cast doubt over Guinea’s participation in upcoming continental and international competitions. “If this gymnasium is destroyed for the exclusive benefit of football, the Fédération guinéenne de handball will immediately withdraw Guinea from all tournaments,” feguihand had threatened in its statement.

The Comité national olympique, Still Without a Solution

The gym hosting the headquarters of the Fédération guinéenne de handball is not the only one affected by this measure. The headquarters of the Comité national olympique et sportif guinéen is also in the sights of the Ministry of Sports. Despite repeated requests to provide it with a new headquarters before the current one is demolished, its many appeals have gone unanswered.

During its elective general assembly, which saw its president reelected for four more years, Ben Daouda Nassoko himself challenged the authorities on this matter, stating: “We will continue our efforts to provide the Comité national olympique et sportif guinéen with a modern and functional headquarters.”

To this day, no replacement facility is in sight. With the announced demolition of the headquarters, the Comité olympique et sportif guinéen risks being left out in the open as the heavy rains are already approaching.

The U-turn by the Fédération guinéenne de handball

A little over 24 hours after publishing a statement condemning the measures taken for the destruction of the gymnasium, the federation backtracked. In a statement from the communications department, the body acknowledged the works to bring the Stade du 28 Septembre up to standard and homologation. “This restructuring, essential for our national sport, will allow the Syli National to play its next home matches during the CAN 2027 qualifiers after the Stade du 28 Septembre in Conakry is approved by the CAF.”

In response to this situation, measures have been taken to ensure activities run smoothly, the statement notes. “The construction of a modern gymnasium will begin very soon. The laying of the first stone is planned for as early as next week. Intensive training camps will be organized for the national teams taking part in African and world competitions. At the end of the rainy season, the national championships will be held in a town inside the country, temporarily outdoors.”, the statement announced.

Four years after its last home game, the Syli National is heading towards a homecoming on a stadium finally approved. While the crisis seems partially defused for handball, with the promise of a new gymnasium, the situation for the Comité national olympique remains unresolved. It remains to be seen whether Guinean authorities will fulfill their commitments this time, or if other federations will also be affected by this approval process.