Qualifiers: Guinea persuades Liverpool to release Keita

Guinea coach Didier Six said he has “negotiated with Liverpool” and secured the release of Naby Keita for one of two upcoming African Cup of Nations qualifiers.

With two rounds left in the qualifying pools, Syli Nationale are second in Group A, two points behind Eagles of Mali. They host the leaders in Mali in Conakry on March 24 and then go to Namibia, who have won one game, on March 28.

Six, a former France international, told AFP that Liverpool had agreed to let Keita play in the first of those games.

“We negotiated with Liverpool, which is one of the biggest clubs in the world, to have Naby Keita for the first game,” Six said.

“After that we put him on the plane immediately and he will be available for the (Premier League) restart after seven days in isolation, during which time he can train.

“I made a proposal to the clubs so that we could be as strong as possible for the first match,” Six said. “It takes diplomacy, there’s no point in yelling.”

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Six said that FIFA’s decision to loosen the rule that requires clubs to release players for internationals  was sensible but added that he would have liked FIFA to tell clubs “to decide within 24-48 hours of the call-up.”

“We have sent a call-up to the players, and their plane tickets, and the clubs can refuse on the last day.”