#15. Burkina Faso 🇧🇫
Population: 22,489,126
Nickname: The Stallions
Appearances: 13th
Last Appearance: 2021
Coach: Hubert Velid (France)
Best AFCON results: Runners-up (2013)
Skipper: Bertrand Traore
Player to watch: Bertrand Traore
Region: WAFU
CAF Rankings: 10
FIFA Rankings: 57
Most caps: Charles Kabore (102)
Top Scorer: Moumouni Dagano (34)
Burkina Faso is ranked 10th on the continent and 54th in the world. The improvement under Hubert Velud is clear to see as the Stallions topped Group B of the 2023 AFCON qualifiers ahead of Cape Verde, Togo and Eswatini.
Burkina Faso has won 4 points in the two opening games for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers with a 1-1 draw against Guinea Bissau and a 3-0 thrashing of Ethiopia.
The Stallions are no more minnows as they have been regular in the AFCON since 2010. Burkina Faso eliminated Tunisia in 2021 AFCON in the Quarter-finals through a 1-0 win and finished 4th eventually.
Edmund Tapsoba, Bertrand Traore, Dango Ouattara, Aziz Ki, and Blati Toure are very decent footballers and can hurt any team on any day.
In a group with Algeria, Mauritania and Angola, The Stallions are expected to qualify for the knockout phase.
Ex-Ajax Amsterdam striker, Lassina Traore, has been out since August and it remains unclear whether he will be fit on time to represent the Stallions of Burkian Faso.
The Core of the Team
Herve Koffi has been Burkina Faso’s number 1 goalkeeper since 2017 and is expected to continue in Ivory Coast.
Bayer Leverkusen’s red-hot Edmund Tapsoba will lead The Stallions at the back alongside Steeve Yago.
Issoufou Dayo and Blati Toure will link the defence and the attack.
Bertrand Traore, Dango Ouattara and Aziz Ki will form a formidable attack.
Probable line up
4-2-3-1
Koffi
Guiebre, Tapsoba, Yago, Ouedraogo
Dayo, Blati Toure
Aziz Ki, Outtara, Bertrand Traore
Mo Konate
Notable Legends
Moumouni Dagano, Jonathan Pitroipa, Aristide Bance, Charles Kabore, Djakaridha Kone, Abdou Razak Traore, Bertrand Traore,
Expectations: Quarter-Finals
Fixtures
Burkina Faso v Mauritania
Algeria v Burkina Faso
Angola v Burkina Faso
