‘It’s strange’ – Steve Yago fumes over Burkina Faso’s exclusion from World Cup playoffs

Burkina Faso defender Steve Yago has voiced his frustration after the Stallions narrowly missed out on qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup playoffs, taking aim at CAF and FIFA over what he described as an “unfair” qualification format.

In a passionate post-match reaction, the experienced defender didn’t hold back his emotions.

“Honestly, it’s strange: you win your games against the weakest team in your group, yet Nigeria is ahead of you, even though they haven’t beaten Zimbabwe, who are last in their group. Apparently, beating the bottom team is too mainstream. Thank you, CAF and FIFA! My career is nearing its end, so I’ll start studying the system to criticise you properly soon,” Yago fumed.

His remarks echo the frustration of many Burkinabè fans who believe the Stallions’ consistency throughout the qualifiers merited more.

Despite strong performances, Burkina Faso narrowly fell short, finishing behind Nigeria in the ranking of the best second-placed teams.

Besides Nigeria, the other countries set to feature in the African qualifiers include Cameroon, Gabon, and D.R. Congo.