Burkina Faso secured their place in the second round of the CAN after playing to a draw (0-0) against Zambia. The Stallions’ performance in the match allowed them to clinch first place in Group C. Despite an average game, Burkina Faso’s coach, Paul Put, praised his players for their tactical discipline.
“It’s a tactical victory. I congratulate my players, who played well and disciplined. We knew that Zambia had nothing to lose, we expected them to attack. We worked the last two days on the midfield and the defense. (…) At the beginning, we had a plan, and after a few minutes, the plan fell through [following the exit of Alain Traoré due to injury], we had to adapt. It wasn’t pretty today, but you had to be realistic. The most important thing was qualifying, we did everything for it, we didn’t concede many chances either,” said Paul Put.
Burkina Faso’s qualification marks a significant achievement, with the coach highlighting that the last time Burkina Faso reached the semi-final was during the 1998 CAN, which was hosted at home.
