Ibrahim Traoré backs Burkina U23 after Argentina rout

Burkina Faso president Ibrahim Traoré has defended the young players who represented the country in the heavy defeat by Argentina, while promising decisions to address the state of football at home. Rather than condemn the result, he praised the squad’s willingness to fulfil the fixture in difficult circumstances.

Argentina won 7-0 in Buenos Aires on 4 October, with Burkina Faso fielding a team made up largely of U23 players. Traoré said the group had been assembled at short notice after being collected at about 8pm, flown through Morocco and sent on to Argentina. He said the players spent nearly 24 hours without sleep before facing Argentina’s leading players in an 80,000-seat stadium.

Speaking the following day while receiving Burkina Faso’s U15 girls, who had recently finished as African school championship finalists, Traoré described the U23 squad as having protected the country from possible sanctions by ensuring the match was played. He credited their patriotism and said the federation had committed to staging the game.

Traoré also called Burkina Faso football “sick” and said remedies were needed. He announced that important decisions would be taken during the week, with a focus on caring for young players, preparing them for future competitions and helping them represent the national flag with honour.