Guinea’s national team will be able to play in front of their home supporters again during the next international window after CAF provisionally approved the Stade 28 Septembre in Conakry.
The decision, announced by the Guinean Football Federation (Feguifoot), comes ahead of the start of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, scheduled for 21 September to 6 October.
Feguifoot described the development as “excellent news” for supporters after receiving official correspondence confirming the temporary homologation of the stadium.
The Stade 28 Septembre had been unavailable for official matches for five years. Following rehabilitation work, the venue has now received provisional approval, allowing the Syli National to potentially return home for their opening AFCON qualifying fixtures.
Guinea had been forced to play their home matches abroad in recent months, with games staged in Côte d’Ivoire and Morocco because the Conakry stadium did not meet CAF requirements.
The approval will also allow Guinean clubs to host matches in African inter-club competitions on home soil instead of playing their fixtures abroad.
However, CAF stressed that the approval is temporary and that further work is required before the stadium can receive full certification.
“This approval is granted on a temporary basis and for a limited period, given that certain points remain to be corrected,” CAF said.
The Ministry of Sports and Feguifoot have pledged to complete the outstanding work and address the remaining requirements.
“The Ministry of Sports and Feguifoot reaffirm their determination to continue, without delay, the work and corrective measures still required.”
The provisional approval therefore provides a major boost for Guinea ahead of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers, while giving the authorities more time to bring the Stade 28 Septembre fully up to CAF standards.
