Burkina Faso coach Traore sets AFCON final target

Confident Burkina Faso coach Brama Traoré has set an ambitious target of reaching the final of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

In an interview with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) website, the veteran coach said he was convinced beyond reasonable doubt that his Stallions can find their way past the group stage hurdles and reach the competition’s knockout phase.

“The objective is to have a very strong campaign and to be present on January 18 in front of the Moroccan authorities, to contest the final against another African team that will have earned the right to face us. This is our ambition,” Traoré said.

Why Traore is confident in Burkina Faso’s AFCON Pedigree

The 63-year-old explained that his confidence in his team stems from the fact that they were the first to secure AFCON berth following the qualifying round matches; hence had enough time to prepare for the ultimate finals in Morocco.

He said: “Yes, we have prepared very well. We were the first team to qualify for this Africa Cup of Nations, and after that, we continued to play our remaining matches with a lot of desire and a great deal of professionalism.

“That has allowed us to arrive here in good condition, and we believe the environment is favourable for us to have a very good AFCON.”

Burkina Faso were drawn in Group E alongside Algeria, Equatorial Guinea and Sudan, opponents Traore described as good but beatable.

“We have very good teams in our group. Algeria are a top side, Equatorial Guinea are competitive, and Sudan have shown their quality — we have seen them beat Ghana before. Everything is possible. We will respect every team because we know they have all prepared well. On our part, we will approach each match with a lot of desire and determination,” the coach added.

The 2013 AFCON silver medallists boast a galaxy of talent such as defender Edmond Tapsoba, who plays club football for Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, England-based Brentford FC’s Dango Ouattara and Bertrand Traoré of Sunderland FC.

The West African giants will set their AFCON campaign in motion against Equatorial Guinea on Wednesday.