The opening match for Les Étalons against Niger in Group A of their FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign will be essential, and manager Kamou Malo knows it. Being grouped with Niger, minnows Djibouti and Algeria, Malo indicated that taking care of business with a road victory against Niger will be of the highest emphasis because only the group winner advances to the final round of qualifying. With Algeria unlikely to slip up and drop points against Niger and Djibouti, Malo stressed that his charges must respect Niger to the fullest in order to get the three points.
Burkina24 reports that Burkina Faso’s two most important players, center defender Edmond Tapsoba and Aston Villa playmaker Bertrand Traoré, will be unavailable. Malo addressed their absences by saying that the young players who get their opportunity as a result must take it and prove that they are capable of wearing the national team shirt.
