Once upon a time “petit soryo

Back on the big story of an inveterate dribbler, technical monster, diminutive and a big talent who inscribed glorious moments for Hafia Club of Conakry and the Syli Nationale of Guinea.

Petit Sory, real name ‘Ibrahima Sory Keita’ is a familiar face that illuminated the African football terrain in the 1970’s. The legendary striker achieved several accolades including being adjudged the Most Valuable Player at the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations in Ethiopia.

He also distinguished himself at the mini-World Cup held in Brazil in 1972. His generation included the likes of his compatriot Mamadouba Maxime Camara, Sadok Sassi ‘Attouga’ (Tunisia), Tahar Hadefi (Algeria), John Eshun, Edward Acquah, Malik Jabir (Ghana), Hassan Shehata, Hani Moustafa (Egypt), Louis Gomis, Edouard Gnacadia (Senegal), Noel Minga, Francois M’Pele (Congo), Tommy Sylvestre (Togo) and Jean-Pierre Tokoto (Cameroon).

Beginning his story, Sory had an elder by same name. And to spot the difference between the brothers, adjectives were accorded in the order of primogeniture. ‘Petit’ which translates small in French accorded Sory.

Petit Sory, a name that continues to ring a bell in his native Guinea had an incredible dribbling talent backed by a remarkable speed.

“My main strength was my speed. I was happier to create a scoring opportunity for my colleagues than scoring myself,” he told daily newspaper, le Quotidien des Sports.

As a striker, the former Hafia player gave the defence and goalkeepers of opposing teams sleepless nights. His decision to play upfront was borne out of his desperation to fill that vacuum and lead his team to victory always.

On three occasions, he was a winner of the then African Cup of Champions Clubs, now CAF Champions League with Hafia – 1972, 1975 and 1977, an era that the Conakry-based club dominated African football.

There are several interesting highlights in the career of Sory. In 1973, against ASEC Mimosas of Core d’Ivoire at the second round of the African Cup of Champions Clubs, the Guineans won the home clash 2-1 in Conakry.

Ahead of the second leg, Ivorian star, Laurent Poku, who played for ASEC at the time promised Hafia ‘hell’ in the return encounter saying “they won in Conakry, but here in Abidjan, I will score three goals in 15 minutes”.

Sory’s reply to Poku was “a football match lasts in 90 minutes; we shall see what happens at the end”.

On match day at the Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, true to the words of Poku, ASEC shot into a three-goal lead. Sory and his charges will hit back, and ASEC will go on to win 4-3 but not enough to secure qualification. Eventually, Hafia won 3-2 on penalties.

The hour of revenge came three years later for ASEC at the semi-final of the 1976 edition. A fierce contest as anticipated, ASEC won the first leg in Bouake 3-0, but Sory and his colleagues rallied back to score 5-0 in the return leg in Conakry to send the Ivorians packing. The Guineans will later lose to MC Alger of Algeria 4-1 on penalties after a 3-3 tie in the final.

Also worthy of recall in Guinea’s failure to win the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations in Ethiopia and also the detention of the Syli Nationale at the Alpha Yaya Camp in Conakry after a 2-2 draw with Liberia in 1967.

For Guinea President at the time, Sekou Toure, the detention was to put the players in the best mood for the return leg, which Sory netted a hat-trick in a 9-0 triumph.

Confederation of African Football (CAF) News