AFCON 2015: Burkina Faso Held by Equatorial Guinea, Qualification Hopes in Jeopardy
BBC Sport – Africa
21 January 2015
Burkina Faso’s hopes of advancing in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations suffered another setback after they were held to a goalless draw by Equatorial Guinea in Group A.
The Stallions, runners-up in 2013, now sit bottom of the group with just one point from two matches, having lost their opening game 2-0 to Gabon. Despite creating several chances, Paul Put’s men lacked composure and struggled to break down the hosts’ resilient defence.
Jonathan Pitroipa, Bertrand Traoré, and Aristide Bancé all had opportunities, while Alain Traoré struck the woodwork. But once again, poor finishing proved costly.
After the match, Burkina Faso captain Charles Kaboré expressed his frustration.
“Given our level and the players we have, and given the chances we created, we shouldn’t be asking ourselves any questions,” he told reporters.
Kaboré admitted that Burkina Faso no longer control their own fate in the tournament.
“We don’t have our destiny in our own hands anymore. We now have to wait for the result of the other match to know where we stand before the third game,” he added, referring to the Gabon vs Congo clash later in the evening.
The draw keeps Equatorial Guinea in contention, with two points from two matches. The tournament hosts once again leaned on captain Emilio Nsue, who was named Man of the Match despite not finding the net. Coach Esteban Becker praised his young squad’s effort, saying he was “very proud” of their performance.
Burkina Faso’s final group game is against Congo on Sunday, where only a win — combined with a favourable result elsewhere — will give them any hope of reaching the quarter-finals.
Group A standings (after Matchday 2):
Congo – 4 pts
Gabon – 3 pts
Equatorial Guinea – 2 pts
Burkina Faso – 1 pt
