Guinea vs New Zealand, Olympics Football 2024, Today Match Prediction

Guinea vs New Zealand Match Prediction & Analysis

Group A matches will kick off with Guinea taking on New Zealand in what could potentially be a crucial match for both teams. Drawn in a group with France and the USA, only one of them will have a good chance to progress.

Having finished in the top 8 in the last edition of the Olympics, New Zealand's route to the Olympics was relatively easy as they swept through the OFC qualifying tournament by defending their OFC qualifying title. On the other hand, Guinea had a tougher path, competing in the U23 African Cup of Nations and the AFC-CAF playoffs. In the end, they booked their ticket to the Olympics by beating Indonesia in the AFC-CAF playoff match.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Guinea Preview

After a long gap of 56 years, Guinea will announce their presence felt in a football match at the Olympics when they step onto the field at the Allianz Riviera Stadium in Nice. “We’ll be going there to try to get as far as possible. We’re rewriting the history books with these youngsters,” commented Diawara moments after having seen his side clinch their Paris 2024 berth.

Having gotten the reins of the team earlier this year, Diawara’s first assignment was the big playoffs match itself, which he passed with great success. Given his experience handling the senior team, where he guided them to the finals, one can expect a strong performance from Guinea this tournament. 

At his disposal, he has the talent of Iliax Moriba of RB Leipzig and the experience of Werder Bremen's Naby Keita in the midfield, perfectly complemented by Aguibou Camara and Algassime Bah of Olympiacos in the final third.

Kaba Diawara is known for his attacking style of play and is likely to incorporate that in this tournament. So we expect him to start games with a 4-3-3 formation.

Guinea Probable Starting XI - Soumaila Sylla (GK); Madiou Keita, Mohamed Soumah, Nabh Oulare (Defenders); Abdoulaye Toure, Amadou Diawara, Issiaga Camara (Midfielders); Ousmane Camara, Algassime Bah, Amadou Diallo (Forwards)

New Zealand Preview

Unlike Guinea, New Zealand has been a regular in Olympic football since the 2008 Beijing Olympics, although they missed out in   2016 due to an ineligible player in the squad. Their greatest result in the three Olympics they've participated in was finishing in the top eight at the most recent edition in Tokyo. During the tournament, they won their first match against a higher-ranked South Korean squad.

Darren Bazeley's team, with 13 of the squad's 18 players already featuring for the senior team,  aim to go all the way in the event. Riley Bidois and Jesse Randall, who combined for nine goals in the qualifying phase, will be the key players to watch out for from the All Whites.

New Zealand Probable Starting XI - Alex Paulsen (GK); Tyler Bindon, Michael Boxall, Lukas Kelly-Heald, Matthew Sheridan (Defenders); Joe Bell, Fin Conchie, Matt Garbett, Ben Old (Midfielders); Riley Bidois, Jay Herdman (Forwards)

GUINEA vs NEW ZEALAND
Winning Prediction

While New Zealand boasts experience, Guinea has shown resilience against stronger opponents, defeating the favored Argentina 1-0 in their final encounter before the Olympics. In terms of goals, the projected xG for this contest is 2.15, suggesting an open match with potential for goals. Kaba Diawara's attacking style is likely to lead to goals being scored.  Given Guinea's recent form, we believe they have a good chance to celebrate their reintroduction into the Olympics football with a victory.

Guinea to Win (2-1)

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