Guinea-Bissau will be featuring in their 2nd Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament and the second in a raw since 2017. Djurtus has never progressed past the group stages.
In the 2019 edition, Guinea-Bissau is in Group F alongside Cameroon, Ghana and Benin.
Guinea-Bissau is the nation that took the longest period of time before embracing the Africa Cup of Nations as they did not take part in qualifiers for the editions between 1957 and 1992.
Their first attempt to negotiate qualification came in 1994 but it was unsuccessful as they were eliminated at the initial stages.
Djurtus decided to withdraw from the 1996 qualifiers, a move that would see them banned from the Burkina Faso 98 qualification.
Once again, Guinea-Bissau did not take part in the qualifiers for Ghana and Nigeria 2000 but this time, they somehow avoided a ban.
For the next two editions in 2002 and 2004, Djurtus withdrew from taking part in the qualifiers sighting financial reasons.
In 2006, Guinea-Bissau attempted to qualify but failed and then decided not to take part in the qualifiers for 2008.
For the four editions between 2010 and 2015, they tried to qualify but were not successful in their attempts.
Guinea-Bissau’s 25-year long wait would eventually come to an end in 2017 as they finally made it to the AFCON finals in Gabon. They finished top of Group E with 10 points, a group the featured the likes of Kenya, Congo and Zambia.
At the finals, they were placed in group A alongside hosts-Gabon, Burkina Faso and Cameroon. Their first game saw them score their first goal and register their maiden point at the finals as they drew 1-1 with Gabon. However, they went on to lose 1-2 to Cameroon and 0-2 to Burkina Faso, finishing bottom of the pile and hence elimination.
Coach
Baciro Cande
Candé is a former professional footballer and the manager of Guinea-Bissau since 2016.
He played professional football in Portugal’s Segunda Liga as a defender with Estrela de Amadora and Amora. He was a player of the Guinea-Bissau national football team.
After he retired from playing, Candé became a football coach. He began managing in Guinea-Bissau with Desportivo de Farim, U.D.I.B, Bula Futebol Clube, Estrela Negra de Bissau and Ajuda Sport Clube, and won the 1988–89 Taca Nacional da Guine Bissau with Desportivo de Farim. Next, he spent several years managing Sporting Clube de Bissau, winning nine league titles with the club.
Since 2003 until 2010 he coached the Guinea-Bissau national football team. He returned as head coach of the national team in March 2016.
Star Player
Zezinho
Zezinho is a 26-year-old midfielder who plays for Slovak club Senica.
He finished his development with Sporting CP after joining its youth system at the age of 16. He made his debut as a senior in the 2011/12, being loaned to Atletico Clube de Portugal and helping them to the ninth position in the Segunda Liga.
Subsequently returned to the Estadio Jose Alvalade, Zezinho appeared almost exclusively with the B-team during his tenure. His maiden Primeira Liga appearance occurred on 13 January 2013, as he came on as a 75th-minute substitute in a 2–0 away win against S.C. Olhanense; he served a further two loans before being released in June 2016, at Veria F.C from the Superleague Greece and Cypriot First Division club AEL Limassol.
Projection: Group stages
Guinea-Bissau’s fixtures at AFCON 2019
-Guinea-Bissau vs Cameroon, 25nd June
-Benin vs Guinea-Bissau, 29th June
-Guinea-Bissau vs Ghana, 02th July
Guinea-Bissau’s 23-man squad for AFCON 2019
Jonas Mendes (Académico Viseu), Rui Dabó (Fabril), Edimar Vieira Cá (UDIB)
DEFENDERS: Rudinilson Silva (Kaunas Zal), Marcelo Djaló (Fulham) Juary Soares (Mafra), Mamadú Candé (Santa Clara), (Gadzasae), Tomas Dabó (Riete), Nanú Gomes (Marítimo), Eliseu Nadjack Soares (Rio Ave)
MIDFIELDERS: Sori Mané (Cova da Piedade), Mamadu Tunkara Pelé (Mónaco), Zezinho Lopes (Senica), Jorge Bura Norgueira (Aves), João Jaquité (Tondela), Moreto Cassamá (Reims)
ATTACKERS: Jorginho Intima (CSKA Sofia), Piqueti Djassi (Al Shoulla), Toni Silva (Attihad), Mama Baldé (Aves), Romário Baldé (Académica), Frédéric Mendy (Vitória Setúbal), Joseph Mendes (Ajaccio).
