…Burkina Faso 15 consecutive AFCON Matches, Longest AFCON Record Broken.
The Stallions of Burkina Faso got a 15 consecutive matches win at AFCON broken on Saturday at the Bouake Stadium in Ivory Coast by the Desert Foxes of Algeria in their second Group D encounter that ended 2-2.
Algeria has not lost a match to any African opponent in 21 matches now.
Akhmat Grozny of Russia player, Mohammed Konate came smoking in the 45+3 minute when he got a lob from the left flank and with a flying header got it home. Ref had ruled it offside but his VAR summon approved the goal because Konate was fractions onside.
Qatar’s Al Sadd big boy, Baghdad Bounedjah who had scored against Angola in the first round in their 1-1 draw pounced on a goal mouth melee to beat the Burkinababe Keeper for the equalizer at 55th minute.
It was like Burkina Faso was playing home for the support was enormous and a shout out by the 33,000 fans at the stadium for that match overwhelmed the Ref who had waved play on over a careless bad defending of an Algeria defender at 68th minute. The VAR look awarded a penalty to Burkina Faso which Aston Villa’s Bertrand Traore converted neatly into goal for 2-1 to Burkina Faso. Traore had scored against Mauritania in their first group match.
Burkina Faso relaxed but Ounas pushed a pass to Baghdad in the 90+5th minute and when he pulled off his shirt for the most coveted equalizer, the Ref gladly flashed him a yellow card for his offence.
Cover photo is Baghdad Bounedjah pulling off his shirt.
Burkina Faso leads temporarily with 4 points scoring 3 goals and conceding 2; Algeria has 2 points from two draws scoring 3 goals and conceding 3 to place 2nd; Angola is 3rd with 1 point one goal for and one goal against while Mauritania has no point scored no goal and conceded one goal to be at the bottom.
Mauritania will play Angola at 6pm in the second match of Group D and Tunisia will slug it out with Mali at 9pm in a Group E match.
Algeria and Burkina Faso met four times all in world cup qualifier matches. At Burkina Faso on 12th October 2013 Burkina Faso won 3-2 but on the return leg that year played 19th November 2013 in Algiers Algeria won by a lone goal; In Burkina Faso the Stallions on 7th September 2021 played 1-1 with Algeria and it was 2-2 draw in Algeria.
Algeria ranked 30 in the world caged Teranga Lions of Senegal 3-1 in a world cup match on 17th November 2023; she overcame Mozambique 2-0 in a world cup game on 19th November 2023; the senior team tried their U23 team for size winning 2-1 on 31st December 2023; Togo was dazed 3-0 in a friendly on 6th January 2024 and on 9th January 2024 Burundi got a 4-0 bashing in a friendly. In the last AFCON group opener, played 16th January 2024 Algeria drew 1-1 with Angola.
Algeria making her 20th appearances at AFCON finals was champions twice. In 1980 in Lagos, Nigeria displaced Algeria 3-0; At Libya 1982 Zambia pushed Algeria to the 4th place 2-0; at Ivory Coast in 1984 Algeria scored three solid goals to grab the Bronze from Egypt; come Morocco 88 it was Bronze again after 4-3 penalty off 1-1 at full time; Algeria clipped the wings of the Super Eagles of Nigeria 1-0 to lift the trophy as she hosted in 1990; Nigeria revenged in 2010 also a lone goal to push Algeria to the 4th place in Angola; Algeria became champions again at Egypt 2019 beating Senegal by a lone goal.
Burkina Faso ranked 105 in the world had on 17th November 2023 played 1-1 with Guinea Bissau in a world cup qualifier; the Stallions beat Ethiopia 3-0 in the second leg on 21st November 2023; she played Iran in a friendly on 5th January 2024 losing 1-2; defeated DR Congo in another friendly played 10th January 2024 but in their match against Mauritania in this AFCON Group D opener she won by a lone goal.
Burkina Faso greatest achievement at AFCON was Silver at South Africa 2013 when she lost to Nigeria by a lone goal in the final. In her first appearance at Ghana 78 she was sent out at the group stage same as South Africa 96 when she first appeared as Burkina Faso after the country changed name. In 1998 she hosted and lost the Bronze to DR Congo 4-1 on penalties after 4-4 at full time; she won Silver in 2013; she got a Bronze at Gabon 2017 beating Ghana by a lone goal but in the last AFCON Games Cameroon 2021 she lost to hosts Cameroon 5-3 on penalties after 3-3 at full time.
Tomorrow Sunday, Morocco will open play against DR Congo in a group E outstanding match at 3pm; Zambia will tackle Taifa Stars of Tanzania at 6pm in group F match and the second group F match will be South Africa versus Namibia at 9pm. That will end groups second round matches.
Eniola Olatunji reporting for Patmos Media Line.
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