Burkina Faso’s Etalons cadets will attempt to end the UFOA-B U17 qualifying tournament on the podium after their hopes of reaching the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) U17 were ended in the semi-finals.
Speaking at Thursday’s pre-match news conference ahead of the third-place play-off, national coach Mamadou Zongo, known as Bebeto, urged his players to recover from the disappointment and respond positively.
“Our objective was qualification for the CAN, unfortunately we did not achieve it. We now have to regroup and go for third place,” said the Burkina Faso coach.
The result has left the team unable to qualify for the CAN U17 through this tournament, but the coaching staff are seeking to maintain the squad’s focus and ensure the campaign finishes with a place on the podium.
Bebeto said the competition had provided important lessons, particularly given that he considers his squad to be the youngest in the tournament. He believes the Etalons could return stronger at the next edition if they are given more time to prepare and the group is reinforced.
The coach also identified finishing as a major weakness during the tournament. Although Burkina Faso created several opportunities, the players were unable to turn enough of them into goals.
“We created a great number of chances, but we were not able to convert them,” Bebeto said.
Mohamed Togoli, who attended the news conference alongside the coach, acknowledged the squad’s frustration following the semi-final elimination. However, he said the players remained determined to respond in the final match.
“We were all very disappointed. The coach spoke to us and we will stay focused to go and get this third place,” he said.
Burkina Faso must now put the failed bid for CAN U17 qualification behind them and concentrate on their final fixture. Victory in the third-place play-off would give the Etalons a podium finish and provide a positive conclusion to their tournament.