Guinean Police question Titi Camara

Saturday, June 9, 2007

Aboubacar Sidiki Camara, more commonly known as Titi Camara, Guinean football legend was recently invited by the Guinean Police for questioning.
Titi was called up to clear widely spread reports that he hired thugs to disrupt the Gambia-Guinea Nations Cup qualifier tie on Sunday.
The 35 year old whose name has become a household name in the country, thanks to his heroic football career, has already made up his mind to run for Guinean FA Presidency.

The news of most famous Guinean footballer’s arrest ran rife during the build up match before the Police authorities later declared that he was only invited for questioning over the reports of his hiring thugs to disrupt the crucial cracker, among other things.

Camara, who scored ten vital goals for Guinea in 37 appearances, was once a highly-touted prospect, spending time with Lens in 1996 to 1998, Olympique Marseille (1998-99), Liverpool (1999-2000), and West Ham United (2000-03). He signed for the latter team on December 21, 2000, for £1.5 million. A member of the Guinean national team until 2005, he played for his country at the 2004 African Nations Cup in Tunisia.
Shortly after his retirement from international football in December 2005, Titi was linked with the vacant manager's job with his national side, Guinea.

Titi is to this day seen by many Liverpool fans as a cult hero, most famously playing at Anfield against West Ham the morning after the death of his father, scoring the winning goal and then dropping to his knees in front of the Anfield Road stand with tears flowing. Ironically, he failed to score for West Ham and is remembered by fans as one of the worst players to ever turn out for the Irons. Interestingly, in 2005 Camara featured on a series of T-Shirts issued by an Irish clothing company. His cult statue meant that the limited edition T-shirts became collectors’ items overnight, and is now thought to trade for several thousand Euro a piece.

If the words of a veteran Guinean sports journalist, Observer Sports met in Conakry, are anything to go by, Titi, no doubt is an idol with the Guinean populace, but what is the stance of those with voting rights when it comes to electing the next Guinean FA boss.

 

Author: Written by Nanama Keita
Source: The Daily Observer Newspaper