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In an extensive interview with ‘Ahel Masr,’ Hubert Velud, the coach of Burkina Faso, shared insights about the team’s prospects in Group D, featuring Algeria, Angola, and Mauritania.
Here is an excerpt from the interview:
Assessing Burkina Faso’s Chances in Group D with Algeria, Angola, and Mauritania:
“It’s an extremely tough group with Algeria, Mauritania, and Angola. I believe everyone has their chance in this group.
Algeria, being the favorite on paper, won’t find it easy to qualify.
We won’t underestimate Angola and Mauritania; we respect our opponents a lot, and we expect the group to be challenging with somewhat equal opportunities.
Of course, we will do our utmost to qualify.”
Predicting Qualifiers from the Group:
“I’ve mentioned that the chances will be close and quite even, making it challenging to determine the qualifiers.
Even Algeria will face some challenges, despite being the top contender to advance from this group.”
Algeria’s Strong Team – Burkina Faso and Mali Close to Springing Surprises:
“Some say that the Algerian national team is experiencing a decline compared to previous years.
I don’t agree; the Algerian team remains very strong, especially with the recent inclusion of a group of talented young players who play in France.
I know well that Algeria needed this new generation. So, I believe they will be as strong as they were before.”
Potential Challenges in Summoning Burkina Faso Stars in Europe due to Tournament Timing:
“As of now, we don’t have issues with summoning European-based players. By European-based players, I mean those playing in Europe.
I hope things continue this way; it will be very good. It’s important that all players promptly make good preparations.”
Forecasting Teams to Qualify for the Second Round from the Six Groups:
“There will be 16 qualifiers from the group stage this time, with the top two teams from each group advancing.
Additionally, the best four third-placed teams will also qualify. This means a total of 16 teams will advance.
It’s impossible for me to predict them; I’m not a magician.”
Potential Dark Horse in the Tournament – Burkina Faso and Mali Could Surprise:
“It could be Burkina Faso, but it won’t be a massive surprise. Let’s admit that other teams have greater chances than us.
We are somewhat behind them.
Also, Mali could clinch the title.
Both these teams are geographically close to Ivory Coast, the host country, and having a significant number of Burkinabés and Malians in the stands can be crucial for motivating the players to achieve outstanding results.”
Egypt’s National Team is Title Contender – Salah and Mostafa Mohamed Most Dangerous Players:
“Egypt is in our World Cup group and leads the group with 6 points, having won against Djibouti and Sierra Leone in the first and second rounds.
I would say that they play their role as perennial contenders, being one of the major favorites to win the Africa Cup of Nations.
I think they are a very strong team with high-caliber players.
What sets them apart is that everyone, when they come to the Egyptian national team, gives their all for the jersey and plays with utmost seriousness.
So, it’s not easy to play against them.”
Identifying Egypt’s Most Dangerous Players:
“The most dangerous player for me is within the great attacking potentials of the Egyptian national team.
For instance, Mohamed Salah from Liverpool, and of course, Mostafa Mohamed, whom I know well because he plays for Nantes in France.
They also have other very good players who play for local clubs like Al Ahly, Zamalek, and Pyramids, all of them are very strong.”
Clarification on Comments About Not Knowing Egypt’s Coach Roy Vitoria:
“That’s nonsense.
I respect the coach of the Egyptian national team a lot. When I said I don’t know him, I meant I don’t know him personally.
However, since then, I’ve seen his work, so I respect many coaches, especially those from the Portuguese school, as it is a good school, and I know it well.
Therefore, I think it’s good to see Roy Vitoria coaching a big team like Egypt.”
Final Goals with Burkina Faso:
“Burkina Faso set the bar very high in the last AFCON in 2022, finishing fourth in the tournament.
Therefore, we need to progress and achieve a better position than the team had. We simply want to win the cup.
Last time, we finished fourth, so the upcoming ambition must be winning the cup.
There’s a very small margin between the fourth and first positions.
When I agreed to come and coach this team, I knew very well that the goals were very high.
Therefore, our motivation will be significant, and we might have the opportunity to claim the title.”
Hubert Velud, with an extensive coaching background, recently coached the Sudan national team before taking on the responsibility of leading Burkina Faso.
Prior to that, he led several prominent African clubs, including TP Mazembe from Congo, guiding them to victory in the 2015-2016 CAF Super Cup.
He also excelled by winning the Algerian Ligue 1 twice, once with MC Alger and the other with ES Sétif.
