Burkina Faso face Benin in key opening clash of 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers

Burkina Faso host Benin on Friday in one of the standout fixtures of the opening round of qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

The match will be played at the Stade du 4-Aout in Ouagadougou, with kick-off scheduled for 19:00 GMT. It will be broadcast by Canal+ Afrique, SuperSport, RTB in Burkina Faso, SRTB in Benin and beIN Sport.

The fixture brings together two sides whose recent form has been inconsistent, although Burkina Faso have the stronger record in previous meetings.

Head-to-head record

Burkina Faso and Benin have met 11 times, according to Transfermarkt. The Etalons have won five of those matches, compared with three victories for the Guepards, while the other three games ended in draws.

The most recent encounter was a friendly on 18 November 2025, when Burkina Faso recorded a 3-0 victory.

Burkina Faso’s recent results have been mixed. In their past five matches, they have registered one win, two draws and two defeats. They drew 2-2 with Belarus and 1-1 with Guinea-Bissau, while suffering 3-0 losses to Russia and Cote d’Ivoire.

Their last victory came in March, when they defeated Guinea-Bissau 5-0.

Benin have won two of their last five matches, alongside one draw and two defeats. The Guepards beat Liberia 1-0 and Guinea 1-0 before drawing 1-1 with Niger.

However, Gernot Rohr’s side were heavily beaten 5-1 by Togo and lost 3-1 to Egypt at the most recent Africa Cup of Nations. Junior Olaitan is among the players Rohr is counting on for the meeting in Ouagadougou.

Burkina Faso favourites

Burkina Faso start as the favourites on paper, helped by home advantage and the perceived strength of their squad. Their recent performances have not been consistent, but Benin also have individuals capable of influencing the match.

A competitive contest is therefore expected, although Amir Abdou’s Burkina Faso are viewed as the more likely winners.

The Africafoot prediction is a 3-1 victory for Burkina Faso.

The listed match odds are 1.47 for a Burkina Faso win, 3.60 for a draw and 6.50 for a Benin victory.