The national football team of Morocco managed to flee Guinea after they were caught up in the unfolding coup in the West African country ahead of their Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifier with the Guinean national team.
Guinea had been due to host Morocco on Monday, but the game was postponed as chaos engulfed the capital Conakry as a group of soldiers proclaimed that they had seized power from 83-year-old President Alpha Conde.
The Moroccan team had arrived on Friday and held one training session before being locked down in their hotel.
On Saturday Morocco’s Bosnian coach, Vahid Halilhodzic, told French outlet L’Equipe that he had heard gunshots outside their hotel.
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“We’re at the hotel; we’ve heard gunshots next door all day. We’re waiting for permission to leave at the airport, for the moment we’re stuck,” Halilhodzic said.
“A plane is waiting for us, but we don’t have permission to leave. And to get to the airport, it takes 45 minutes, an hour. When you hear the gunshots outside, security is not 100% assured…
“The players are not reassured, the concern is present, and that’s for sure.”
The Moroccan team and match officials were eventually given an escort to the airport and flew out late on Sunday but a player for Lokomotiv Moscow remains stuck in the chaos.
