Burkina Faso breathed life back into their CHAN 2024 campaign with a 4-2 victory over the Central African Republic on Tuesday, a result that reignites their hopes of progression from Group B.
Speaking after the match, head coach Issa Balboné commended the resolve and mindset of his young squad, while acknowledging areas of concern that need urgent improvement.
Tonight, there were some boys who were really determined, said Balboné. As I said in the pre-match press conference, we had an obligation to get results to get back into the competition. We talked among ourselves and the kids really understood, they got the message. But I’m happy with my kids, because we had to win no matter what.
Burkina Faso entered the encounter under pressure, having struggled in their opening group outing.
The coach admitted that the mental burden on the players was considerable, especially given their relative youth and inexperience.
However, he praised their response to the high-stakes occasion.
There was a bit of pressure on us, especially since they’re young, he added. As I spoke to them a lot, they understood that it’s a national affair. For a national affair, it’s not easy, so we really had to, as I just said, win no matter what.
Despite the convincing scoreline, Balboné was clear-eyed about the deficiencies in his team’s performance.
The two goals conceded exposed lapses in defensive organisation, particularly in transition phases when possession was lost.
I think we need to work on a lot of aspects, especially the transition, because we really lacked that tonight, especially the defensive transition, he explained. When we have the ball and we lose the ball, the opponent takes advantage of our weaknesses to really worry us, and we will work a lot on that front.
The coach also cited physical limitations within the squad, with a short recovery window between matches proving problematic.
There are players who have recovery problems, so in 72 hours, they have not been able to recover. That is why there was this change. These are talented players, and I think that in the coming days, when they recover well, you will see a new face in some players too.
The result lifts Burkina Faso’s morale ahead of their final group stage fixture, where a more complete performance will be required to secure qualification.
For Balboné, however, Tuesday’s win was a non-negotiable step forward: We had to win, whatever the way.
🎙« Il fallait gagner, quel que soit la manière » Le sélectionneur des Etalons locaux, Issa Balboné après la première victoire du Burkina Faso dans le #CHAN2024 ce mardi en battant la Centrafrique sur le score de 4-2. pic.twitter.com/NPRozqfLlm
— Africa Top Sports (@ATS_fr) August 6, 2025
