Mali counting on Bissouma to nullify Burkina Faso threat
MALI and Burkina Faso have no injury concerns ahead of their all-important round of 16 Africa Cup of Nations clash at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium in Korhogo, Ivory Coast, this evening.
Mali’s kingpin Yves Bissouma – the defensive midfielder who plays his club football for Tottenham Hotspur – has returned to full fitness. His role will be to inspire his teammates to elevate their performance, especially after Mali coach Éric Chelle said the team were off-colour in their goalless draw against Namibia last week.
“We needed a turnover and a change of system because I saw a lot of fatigue in my players, so I had to deal with all that,” Chelle said afterwards.
Bissouma will be the key figure for his team against a well-drilled Burkina Faso midfield.
The Stallions will be delighted to have Mohamed Konaté and Ibrahim Touré available again, after both missed the final group stage match due to suspension. With the return of this duo, Burkina Faso will field their strongest starting XI.
Moreover, Burkina Faso captain Bertrand Traoré has been in sparkling form, and he could play a decisive role in the outcome of the match.
Traoré, who plays as a forward or a right winger for Aston Villa, proved to be a useful tool off the bench during the group stages, finding the back of the net in the first two matches. After a starting berth in the last match against Angola, a 2-0 defeat, Traoré is expected to maintain his place in the run-on XI.
Frenchman Hubert Velud, Burkina Faso’s coach, said the team did not lack motivation but was ineffective in front of the opposition goal.
“We cannot say that Angola was stronger than us,” said Velud.
“There was a lack of attacking effectiveness on the part of Burkina Faso in the match.
“We finished the first round in second place, in a difficult group, and even the Algerian team did not qualify.
“What matters most to us is the 16-round final match. This will be another type of match, different from the group stage matches.”
Mali will hope that striker Lassine Sinayoko, who plies his trade in France, will be the answer to the Traoré threat. Sinayoko has scored two of Mali’s three goals at the tournament.
This will be the second meeting between Mali and Burkina Faso at the Afcon. Their previous meeting in January 2004 ended a 3-1 win for Mali. The Eagles will look to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2013, when they finished third.
Burkina Faso have only lost one of their last seven games outright in the Afcon knockout stages. However, in three of the seven matches, they were eliminated via a penalty shoot-out.
The prize on offer in this match will be a quarter-final clash against defending champions Senegal or hosts Ivory Coast.