Guinea vs Morocco World Cup qualifier postponed due to attempted coup

Morocco's national team are set to be evacuated from the Guinean capital Conakry and their World Cup qualifier against Guinea has been postponed because of a coup d'etat in the West African country.

FIFA has announced that it has taken the decision to postponed the World Cup qualifier between Guinea and Morocco due to the uncertain political situation of the host country.

The fixture was due to take place on September 6, but no date has been slated for the potential rearranged fixture.

A statement published on FIFA's website reads: "The current political and security situation in Guinea is quite volatile and is being closely monitored by FIFA and CAF. To ensure the safety and security of all players and to protect all match officials, FIFA and CAF have decided to postpone the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifying match Guinea vs. Morocco, which had scheduled to be hosted in Conakry, Guinea, on Monday 6 September. 

"Rescheduling information will be made available at a later date."

There is a reported coup d'état taking place in Guinea, with reports of gunfire heard in the streets of the capital Conakry, where the fixture was due to take place.

The Morocco team have been told to remain inside their residence for the time being and to stay away from windows and doorways.

"The current political and security situation in Guinea is quite volatile and is being closely monitored by FIFA and CAF," the Confederation of African Football said in a statement.

Morocco trained in Guinea on Saturday shortly before the reported coup d'etat began, with hours of gunfire being heard in Conakry - in the vicinity of the presidential palace - according to the BBC.

Before the postponement was announced, Morocco coach Vahid Halilhodzic told French newspaper L'Equipe: "We're at the hotel, gunshots can be heard nearby all day. We're waiting for permission to leave for the airport but we're stranded for now.

"A plane is waiting for us, but we are not allowed to leave. And to get to the airport, it takes between 45 minutes to an hour. When you hear gunshots outside, safety is not 100% guaranteed."

While Guinea's defence minister has said that the coup d'etat has not been successful, the fate of President Alpha Conde remains uncertain. ESPN reported verified images from the Guinean capital which depict corpses on the city's streets.

Morocco travelled to the country on a special chartered jet, although it remains to be seen whether they will be allowed to depart via the airport.

The four Cameroonian match officials designated to oversee Monday's fixture are also still in the country, with African football's governing body yet to confirm how they will exit the country.

Officials from the Royal Moroccan Football Federation have been approached for comment by ESPN, but have refused to give further details on the team's movements.

Achraf Hakimi of Paris Saint-Germain, Benfica's Adel Taarabt, Wolves defender Romain Saiss and Sevilla duo Yassine Bounou and Youssef En-Nesyri are some of the high-profile players currently in the Morocco camp.