Burkina Faso begin preparations for Benin AFCON qualifier

Burkina Faso have begun preparations for their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Benin, with the Stallions holding their first training session at the Stade du 4 Août on Monday.

The training camp officially opened on Sunday, but only the first group of players took part in Monday afternoon’s session under national coach Amir Abdou and his technical staff.

Around 10 players were present for the opening session, while the rest of the squad are expected to arrive on Tuesday as Burkina Faso step up their preparations for the start of the qualifying campaign.

Eight players were specifically identified as taking part in the first training session at the Stade du 4 Août. They were Dango, Ismahila Ouédraogo, Issa, Landry Kaboré, Bebel Doumbia, Rachid Gnanou, Kilian Nikiéma and Ousseni Bouda.

The early arrivals were able to begin work with Abdou and his coaching staff as the Stallions started preparing for a demanding international window.

With more players expected to join the group on Tuesday, the coaching staff will have a larger squad to work with ahead of the opening qualifier.

The first session represents the beginning of an important period for Burkina Faso, who must prepare for competitive fixtures while also integrating new faces into the squad.

The Stallions will open their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign at home against Benin on Friday, 25 September.

The match will be played at the Stade du 4 Août, with kick-off scheduled for 19:00 GMT. It will be Burkina Faso’s first match in Group F of the qualifying competition.

The Stallions will then have little time to recover before their next fixture. They are scheduled to travel to Casablanca to face the Central African Republic on 28 September.

The international window will conclude with a friendly against Argentina on 3 October.

That schedule gives Amir Abdou and his players a busy period in which to establish their preparations, compete in the opening AFCON qualifiers and work with the new faces included in the squad.

For now, the immediate focus is on Benin, with Burkina Faso using the opening days of camp to bring the squad together and prepare for Friday’s Group F encounter.

The arrival of the remaining players on Tuesday will allow the Stallions to continue building towards their first competitive match of the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.