U17 AFCON: Burkina Faso Banks On Teamwork To Beat Eagles

U17 AFCON: Burkina Faso Banks On Teamwork To Beat Eagles 

Ibraheem Lateef

Brahima Traore says teamwork will help his Burkina Faso team beat 5-time world champions Nigeria in Thursday's TotalEnergies U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) quarter-finals in Algiers, reports BSNSports.com.ng.

Traore says they expect a difficult duel against the Golden Eaglets, but teamwork will be the crucial ingredient to take them through.

“We go into the match with calmness but the enthusiasm to do well and achieve qualification to the World Cup. But, I have insisted with the players that we have to play together as a team and not individually. We want to achieve collectively as a team,” the tactician said.

They face Nigeria once again, having come up against them in the final of the WAFU Zone B qualification tournament, with Nigeria winning 2-1.

But the coach expects a different matchup altogether.

“Both teams have changed and most of the players who played then are not in the team. It will be a different match and tougher,” the coach stated.

He has reiterated that just like any other team in the last eight, they are motivated by the opportunity of qualifying for the World Cup.

"Our first goal is to reach the semi-finals and qualify for the World Cup, and we will do everything in our power to achieve it. Our second goal is to take the trophy to our country and win the title for the second time,” said the coach.