(Reuters) – Guinea have included Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita in their extended 27-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon next month as they became the first team to name their final selection on Tuesday.
Keita is likely to be the first of three players from the title-chasing Anfield club to be selected for the Jan. 9-Feb. 6 competition along with Egyptian forward Mo Salah and Senegal striker Sadio Mane.
Former Arsenal forward Kaba Diawara recently replaced Frenchman Didier Six as Guinea coach and has also selected the brother of Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba. Defender Florentin plays for Sochaux in the French second tier.
Keita is likely to come up against Mane, with Guinea drawn in Group B at the finals alongside Senegal, Zimbabwe and Malawi. They will be heavily fancied to make the second round.
The Nations Cup finals have been under threat with concerns raised over a lack of organisation, incomplete building work and coronavirus outbreaks among the large number of players and staff set to descend on Cameroon in the next few weeks.
But Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe has said he expects the finals to go ahead as planned.
Guinea squad:
Goalkeepers: Aly Keita (Ostersund, Sweden), Ibrahima Kone (Hibernians, Malta), Moussa Camara (Horoya, Guinea)
Defenders: Saidou Sow (St Etienne, France), Ibrahima Conte (Niort, France), Florentin Pogba (Sochaux, France), Ousmane Kante (Paris FC, France), Mohamed Aly Camara (Young Boys, Switzerland), Pa Konate (Botev Plovdiv, Bulgaria), Issiaga Sylla (Toulouse, France), Antoine Conte (Universitatea Craiova, Romania), Mikael Dyrestam (Sarpsborg 08, Norway)
Midfielders: Amadou Diawara (Roma, Italy), Ibrahima Cisse (Seriang, Belgium), Mory Konate (Sint-Truidense, Belgium), Ibrahima Sory Conte (Bnei Sakhnin, Israel), Ilaix Moriba (RB Leipzig), Mamadou Kane (Neftci, Azerbaijan), Morlaye Sylla (Horoya, Guinea), Aguibou Camara (Olympiacos, Greece), Naby Keita (Liverpool, England)
Forwards: Seydouba Soumah (Kuwait SC, Kuwait), Morgan Guilavogui (Paris FC, France), Mamadou Diallo (Grenoble, France), Jose Kante (Kairat, Kazakhstan), Mohamed Bayo (Clermont France), Sory Kaba (OH Leuven, Belgium)
(Reporting by Nick Said; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
