Guinea’s national football team has named the experienced Portuguese coach, Paulo Duarte, as their new head coach.
The announcement comes just under a month before the team’s crucial World Cup qualifiers.
Duarte, 56, is a well-traveled coach with extensive experience in African football. He has previously led the national teams of Burkina Faso on two separate occasions, as well as Gabon and Togo.
His club coaching career includes stints in Portugal, France, Tunisia, Angola, and Saudi Arabia.
The Guinea Football Federation made the announcement on Monday but did not disclose the terms of Duarte’s contract. However, they did state their expectation that he would “restructure their national team.”
Duarte faces a challenging task, as Guinea currently trails group leaders Algeria by eight points with only four qualifying matches remaining, leaving them with a slim chance of making it to the World Cup.
The team’s next two qualifiers are scheduled for September. They will face Somalia away on September 5, followed by a home game against Algeria on September 8.
Due to a stadium ban, the home match against Algeria has been relocated to Casablanca, Morocco.
