Men's Soccer | 5/18/2016 3:52:00 PM
May 19 Update: Guirassy scored the only goal for Guinea in a tournament opening loss to Paraguay on Thursday.
NEWARK, NJ— Mamadou Guirassy, who is entering his junior year as a member of the NJIT men's soccer team, has been called up to Guinea's U20 Men's National Team squad in preparation for the 2016 Toulon Tournament, to be held in France, May 18 to 29.
Training camp began May 9 in Toulon and concluded on May 16, when the final squad for Guinea was announced, two days prior to the opening of the tournament.
Guirassy, a midfielder whose hometown is Paris, France, is representing Guinea, a nation of more than 11 million people in West Africa that became independent of France in 1958, ending colonial rule that began in the late 1800s. French remains the country's official language.
A business major, Guirassy joined the Highlander squad in 2014, following a U17 State Division Championship at Lycee Maurice Ravel in France. His club team is FC Issy in Paris.
As a sophomore at NJIT, he ranked second on the team in goals (3) and points (8) and tied for second, with two assists.
Founded in 1967, the Toulon Tournament (officially "Festival Espoirs de Toulon") invites national teams composed of under-20 players. The first tournament in 1967 featured club teams, but has been limited to national teams since 1974. It is held around southeastern France, with the final being played in Toulon.
Over the years, the tournament has been an early showcase for some of the world's top players including:
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, 2003);
Kaka (Brazil, 1999);
Thierry Henry (France, 1997); and
David Beckham (England, 1996).
"It's an honor to be selected with the Guinean national team," said NJIT's Guirassy. "Being able to represent my country and parents' country is like a dream come true. Playing against players who are professionals in big (English) Premier League clubs like Chelsea or Arsenal is an experience that is going to help me for my career during college and after college."
NJIT head coach
Fernando Barboto commented: ""This pre-Olympic tournament is 60 years old and has seen players such Zidane, Ronaldo, and Kaka over the years. It is a great honor that Mo (Guirassy) was selected to represent his country".
Guirassy and his fellow Highlanders will assemble on campus in early August in preparation for their first season under the leadership of
Fernando Barboto, who was announced as the new head coach in late January 2016.
Barboto came to NJIT after a successful 13-year run as head coach at Iona in New Rochelle, NY, winning 116 games and building a program from one that was winless in 20 matches the year before he arrived to one that was a perennial Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference contender by the time he left.
