Guinea plays the physical fitness of Liverpool star Keita for the Africa Cup

"I'm not quite fit to play yet" admitted the 24-year-old star on Guinean television After the Belgian coach Paul Put has named his team of 23 players for the biennial show of African football. "After a training with the ball in Liverpool, I arrived at the Guinean training camp in Morocco and I am ready to train with the team.

"I want to rebadure the Guinean fans, coaches and the rest of the team that I think I'll be ready for our first game." Guinea, which lost their pre-season games against Gambia and Benin, launches its Group B campaign in Egypt against Madagascar on June 22, one day after the tournament kickoff.

Keita is injured playing for Liverpool against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals last month and manager Jurgen Klopp said that he would be away for two months. Guinea and Nigeria, triple champion are favored to qualify for the second round knockout of a completed group by beginners Burundi and Madagascar.

The winners and finalists of the six groups advance with the four best third places of an expanded competition to 24 nations for the first time.

– Aboubakar omis –

Guineans was the closest to winning the Nations Cup in 1976, when they finished finalists in Morocco after the only edition decided by a mini-league. Meanwhile, Vincent Aboubakar, the striker who scored the goal that won the 2017 final for Cameroon, We will not go to Egypt amidst doubts about its physical form.

He resumed training last month in Porto after a long absence caused by a knee injury and coach of the Indomitable Lions Clarence Seedorf is not convinced that he is in good shape. In his absence, Cameroon will turn to Karl Toko Ekambi, Villarreal striker in form for goals as they seek consecutive titles for a second time.

Aboubakar scored two minutes from the end in Libreville two years ago seal a 2-1 final victory over Egypt, seven-time record champion. They should not have too much trouble qualifying in Group F, where they meet Ghana four times champion and Benin and Guinea-Bissau less formidable.

The old Dutch star Seedorf has included 10 team players who emerged as 2017 Shock Champions, including Ekambi. He also recalled the 35-year-old goalkeeper Fenerbahce, Idriss Carlos Kameni, who had not been selected for the last tournament.