Syli National: Paulo Duarte to announce his first squad on August 22 | OneFootball

Syli National: Paulo Duarte to announce his first squad on August 22

The new head coach of the Syli National, Paulo Duarte, will hold his first press conference on Friday, August 22, 2025, at 15:00 GMT. This event will serve as the occasion to unveil the list of players selected for rounds seven and eight of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Objective: Regaining a winning momentum

Paulo Duarte's first selections will be crucial in enabling Syli National to recapture their winning rhythm and climb the standings. Guinea is gearing up for two decisive matches that could completely reshape the outlook of Group G.

The first clash is set for September 5, 2025, against Somalia, kicking off at 12:00 GMT at the Nelson Mandela National Stadium in Kampala. Just three days later, on September 8, 2025, Ballon d'Or contender Serhou Guirassy and his teammates will lead the team in a high-stakes encounter against Algeria—the group leaders and strong favorites to qualify—at 16:00 GMT at the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca.

Group G standings

The Desert Warriors of Algeria firmly top the group with 15 points. The Syli National trail behind in fifth place with 7 points, eight adrift of the leaders. Guinea must improve their standing and rack up points to avoid falling out of contention after these two rounds. Here is the current table:

1. Algeria – 15 points

2. Mozambique – 12 points

3. Botswana – 9 points

4. Uganda – 9 points

5. Guinea – 7 points

6. Somalia – 1 point

Duarte, the 56-year-old Portuguese coach, was appointed on August 15 and brings a wealth of experience from his time in charge of Burkina Faso, Gabon, and Togo. However, World Cup qualification is not currently among the stated objectives; for now, the aim is to get the team back on track and restore hope among Syli supporters.