Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat describes the ‘scary moments’ during the Guinea coup: ‘You never expect something like this.’
Amrabat and the rest of the Moroccan national team found themselves trapped in the team’s hotel last weekend.
An armed group had staged a coup, suspended the constitution, taken the President hostage and blocked all travel for a week.
The Morocco national team, which includes another Fiorentina player, Youssef Maleh, was allowed to leave after a few hours.
“It’s scary when you hear shots, then silence and then more shots. My family was very concerned and everyone was writing to us and asking if we were okay,” Amrabat told Tuttosport.
“If you choose to play for an African country, you plan to face certain situations, but you do not expect to end up in the middle of a military coup,” the midfielder continued.
“On Sunday morning, Adel Taarabt asked me if I’d heard any gunshots. At first, I laughed and said that they had to be fireworks because it often happens that they explode close to the players’ hotels the night before the games. But then we checked on the internet and we saw that something was going on.
“There was a 45-minute drive and our plane was waiting for us, but the military that had taken power had closed the airport and the roads, telling everyone to stay at home.
“Only with the intervention of His Majesty who contacted the new leaders, we were allowed to take off under military supervision.
“It’s weird to see military vehicles surrounding you on the bus. Only when we returned to Morocco, I realized that it was a very strange situation and I understand the concern of my family.”