Burkina Faso to field regulars
THERE will be a familiar look about the Burkina Faso squad for next weekend’s World Cup qualifier against South Africa at Soccer City in Johannesburg with a 24-man squad chosen‚ packed with regulars who have already had considerable experience against Bafana Bafana.
The likes of Aristide Bance‚ Charles Kabore‚ Bakary Kone and the Traore brothers Alain and Bertrand are among those making the trip for the match on Saturday, October 7.
But Jonathan Pitroipa will not make the trip to South Africa as he is currently without a club. Jonathan Zongo is still injured.
Tricky winger Pitroipa was named the best player at the 2013 African Nations Cup finals in South Africa, where Burkina Faso ended as surprise finalists‚ losing 1-0 to Nigeria in the deciding game at Soccer City.
The squad, for their latest visit to the iconic stadium near Soweto, sees Adama Guira and Bakary Sare return, while Mohamed Gnontcha Kone‚ who plays club football in Uzbekistan‚ gets a first call-up.
Right back Patrick Malo has been dropped by coach Paulo Duarte in a hard stance after a series of near calamitous mistakes in their last two qualifiers against Senegal‚ which were both drawn.
“Everyone makes mistakes‚ but Malo is making too many‚” Duarte said.
“There’s one thing I will not tolerate and that is being flippant with a country’s dream to go to the World Cup.
“Malo is the player with whom I have most individual meetings.
“I communicate with him‚ one hour‚ two hours before the game.
“I insist to him‚ ‘no risk‚ no clumsy tackles‚ no dangerous pass in defence’. “But it doesn’t get through.” In the goalless draw against Senegal in Dakar on September 2‚ former Santos defender Issoufou Paro was injured in the first half, but had to limp on for five minutes more because Malo‚ who was selected to come on in his place‚ had forgotten his shirt in the change room.
Burkina Faso will also be without hard-tackling midfielder Abdoul Razak Traore‚ a new teammate of Lebogang Manyama in Turkey‚ who is still injured, and Issoufou Dayo‚ who is suspended after being red carded in the last qualifier.
Burkina Faso Squad:
Goalkeepers: Daouda Diakite (AS Vita Club‚ DR Congo)‚ Herve Koffi (Lille‚ France)‚ Germain Sanou (Beauvais‚ France) Defenders: Yacouba Coulibaly (Le Havre‚ France)‚ Bakary Kone (Malaga‚ Spain)‚ Mohamed Gnontcha Kone (Lokomotiv Tashkent‚ Uzbekistan)‚ Mohamed Ouattara (Wydad Casablanca‚ Morocco)‚ Dylan Ouedraogo (Monaco‚ France)‚ Issouf Paro (Niort‚ France)‚ Steeve Yago (Toulouse‚ France) Midfielders: Yaya Banhoro (Santos‚ Brazil)‚ Adama Guira (Aarhus‚ Denmark)‚ Charles Kabore (Krasnodar‚ Russia)‚ Stephane Aziz Ki (Omonia Nicosia‚ Cyprus)‚ Bakaru Bouba Sare (Belenenses‚ Portugal)‚ Ousmane Junior Sylla (CS Constantine‚ Algeria)‚ Ibrahim Blati Toure (Omonia Nicosia‚ Cyprus)‚ Alain Traore (Al Markhiya‚ Qatar) Forwards: Aristide Bance (Al Masry‚ Egypt)‚ Cyrille Bayala (Sheriff Tiraspol‚ Moldavia)‚ Banou Diawara (Smouha‚ Egypt)‚ Anthony Koura (Nancy‚ France)‚ Prejuce Nakoulma (Nantes‚ France)‚ Bertrand Traorr (Olymiquer Lyonnais‚ France)