Burkina Faso will start another journey of trying to win a first Africa Cup of Nations when they settle in Morocco for the next tournament. The West African nation, formerly known as Upper Volta, have had their best AFCON results in 2013 (runner-up) and 2017 (third place).
Defender Issa Kaboré has expressed optimism about his country making a strong impact at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after being drawn into Group E alongside Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, and Sudan.
On loan at Werder Bremen from Manchester City, the right-back believes clashing with tougher nations will afford them the necessary test to progress in the tournament. Kaboré first spoke about his journey with the Stallions.
“Playing for Burkina Faso is unique, it’s my country. We started playing football when we were little, watching the Stallions play. We always wanted to play for them. It was one of my first dreams,” Kaboré said in an interview with the Associated Press.
At just 23 years old, Kaboré has already earned 45 caps and scored twice for his national team and he looks back his achievement with pride.
“Representing Burkina Faso 45 times is really great, and I hope it continues so I can earn even more caps.” He said.
Kaboré has already played in two AFCON tournaments, helping Burkina Faso reach the semi-finals in 2022 before finishing fourth, and then experiencing a round-of-16 exit in 2024.
Despite the high and low points, he remains confident about competing in Africa’s biggest football tournament come December when the competition begins in Morocco.
“The atmosphere is incredible, the football… AFCON is an extraordinary competition, unlike any other because of the passion surrounding it,” he said.
“All the teams are getting stronger, and I have great memories of the tournaments I have played in. I hope the next one will be even better."
Discussing Burkina Faso’s AFCON 2025 group, Kaboré acknowledged the quality of their opponents but welcomed the challenge.
“It’s a good draw because we’re playing against strong teams, big footballing nations. I think it’s always good to test yourself against top teams,” he said. “It’s a pleasure, and we’ll try to enjoy ourselves while doing our best to defend our country’s colours. The ambition is first to qualify for the Round of 16, and then we’ll take it step by step.”
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