Looking at the 2025 AFCON qualifiers’ goal-scoring list could take someone aback, given that the usual names are not at the leading spot. Victor Osimhen, Mohamed Salah, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Vincent Aboubakar, you name a player but note that all of them are trailing behind one man.A man who found the net five times in only two games (?!) – given that he missed the opening two clashes due to injury – or, more precisely, 87 minutes if you want. A man whose national team lost both duels without him but then, upon his return, rose like a phoenix, carried by his wings and his five goals (out of seven they scored in total during October’s international actions).Serhou Guirassy has scored five goals in his last 87’ minutes for Guinea, a first half hat-trick against Ethiopia, and a brace in the opening 23’ minutes against Ethiopia in the away qualifier. 💥 The AFCON qualifiers top scorer. 🇬🇳👑 pic.twitter.com/oI6qo64wK8— Statman James (@JamesStatman) October 15, 2024 The man is Serhou Guirassy, and Guinea are nowhere near the same team with and without him in the squad. Egypt beat Mauritania without Salah, Cameroon can get by if Aboubakar is absent, while Nigeria have such strong “firepower” in the attack that sometimes the Super Eagles don’t even need Osimhen. But Guirassy’s influence on the National Elephants’ performances is immense.AFCON: Guriassy’s hat trick downs EthiopiaAnd he must really like first halves given that all five efforts came in the initial 45 minutes! On Saturday, he recorded a hat-trick between the 18th and the second minute of added time, only to continue “terrorizing” the Ethiopian defence three days later with a 16th-minute opener and a completed brace seven minutes later. He plays as if he is afraid that he’ll be replaced at the break and thus hurries to score as many goals as possible in the shortest time. As if someone will deprive him of playing time. But one look at his career explains everything.AFCON2025Q: Morocco seal the home soil trophy hunt, Guirassy thrashes Ethiopia once againBorn in France, Guirassy did not begin his football journey at Paris Saint-Germain, Monaco, Olympique Marseille, or Lyon. As a 13-year-old, he started his career at French minnows Montargis and Amilly, only to move to Laval – a club balancing between Ligue 2 and Championnat National (the third-tier league in France).Serhou Guirassy has now scored 11 goals in 8 games for both club and country this season 🤖✨ pic.twitter.com/aR3SZFy8qa— Winning-Goal (@WinningG0al) October 15, 2024 At the club from western France, he debuted in senior football and even moved to Lille, where they never had fate in him. Auxerre, Koln, Amiens, Rennes – he could nowhere find himself or get a proper chance. But then, in 2022, Stuttgart appeared and made Guirassy what he is today – a merciless goal-scoring machine – the reputation he continued nurturing at Borussia Dortmund. He was invisible even for Guinea until 2022, debuting for the national team only at 26!Hence, never wonder why Guirassy always starts strong. It’s because he doesn’t know how much time he will get on the pitch. Yes, he currently lives the dream, both at Signal Iduna Park and in the National Elephants’ jersey, but he still remembers his difficult beginnings. They taught him that every minute counts because sometimes that minute is all you’re going to get.##NAJAVA_MECA_8414935##
