Burkina Faso’s chaotic journey to Argentina friendly revealed by match organiser

Burkina Faso’s preparations for their friendly against Argentina were disrupted by a cancelled flight, player withdrawals and last-minute visa arrangements, according to the match organiser.

The African side eventually reached Buenos Aires after a series of logistical problems, with much of the squad replaced by players from the Burkina Faso Under-23 team before the match at the Monumental.

Jero Pachon, the FIFA-accredited match agent and organiser, explained how the difficulties began on 30 September, when the delegation’s flight from Casablanca, Morocco, was cancelled because of a technical fault.

Pachon, chief executive of Eurodata Sport, said the airline informed the squad of the problem when the players were already prepared to board. The carrier cited force majeure for its decision not to operate the flight, according to a statement published by the Argentine Football Association.

The delay in arranging an alternative aircraft to Argentina led to considerable frustration among members of Burkina Faso’s senior squad. Several players said they would not travel, citing “fatigue and accumulated exhaustion”.

They were unwilling to cross the Atlantic and then play with almost no time to recover. Representatives of the Burkina Faso government and the Burkina Faso Football Federation held meetings in an attempt to persuade the players to change their minds, but the footballers maintained their position.

That left the authorities with little option but to assemble an almost entirely new squad. Most of those called up were Under-23 players, who had to be moved at short notice from Burkina Faso to Morocco to board the flight to Argentina after several days of uncertainty.

The Argentine Football Association and the Argentine government also had to secure visas for the replacement delegation within a very limited timeframe.

Pachon described that process as one of the biggest challenges he had faced during his career.

“In 18 years of working with national teams, I have faced many adverse situations,” he said, according to Spanish network COPE.

Despite the disruption, the newly assembled Burkina Faso team completed the journey and played Argentina shortly after arriving in Buenos Aires.

The players took part in the match a little over five hours after their plane landed, following a journey that lasted almost 12 hours.

Argentina won the friendly 7-0 at the Monumental, adding to the difficult circumstances surrounding Burkina Faso’s preparations and travel.

The delegation’s stay in Argentina was brief. The team was scheduled to return to Africa at midday on Sunday, Greenwich Mean Time, only hours after the match.