Burkina Faso coach Amir Abdou demands response after disappointing Benin draw

Burkina Faso coach Amir Abdou has urged his players to respond strongly when they face the Central African Republic in their second 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture on Monday.

The Stallions opened their Group-stage campaign with a disappointing 1-1 draw against Benin at the Stade du 4-Août in Ouagadougou, a result that left the home supporters frustrated and put pressure on the team to deliver a better performance in their next outing.

Burkina Faso will now look to put the dropped points behind them when they take on the Central African Republic on Monday, September 28, as the qualifying campaign moves into its second matchday.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Abdou admitted that the result against Benin was difficult to accept, particularly because Burkina Faso were playing in front of their home supporters.

However, the coach insisted that there was little value in dwelling on the disappointment, stressing that his team must learn from its mistakes and immediately turn its attention to the next challenge.

“The people are disappointed, and so am I, but we don’t have time to dwell on this poor performance. We will learn from it and move forward. We have been warned,” Abdou said.

The French-Comorian coach also made it clear that Burkina Faso cannot afford to lose confidence after the opening setback.

“There is no question of giving up. We will go out as conquerors to secure a result against the Central African Republic,” he added.

Abdou will now expect a reaction from his players, particularly in terms of their intensity, concentration and efficiency in front of goal.

The draw with Benin means Burkina Faso dropped two valuable points at home, making the upcoming encounter against the Central African Republic even more important as they seek to keep their qualification hopes on track.

For the second matchday, the Stallions have travelled to Morocco, where they will face the Central African Republic at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 4:00pm GMT on Monday.

With the qualifying campaign still in its early stages, Abdou will be hoping his players can turn their frustration from the Benin draw into a positive response in Casablanca and return home with a result.