U17 AFCON: Brahima Traore urges players to play collectively against Nigeria

By Saheed Afolabi

Burkina Faso coach, Brahima Traore has urged his players to be united and shun individual play against Nigeria in the ongoing 2023 U17 Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday.

The Burkinabe will be hoping to be at their best when they take on the Golden Eaglets in a quarterfinal tie as they seek to avoid a back-to back loss, having bowed 2-1 at the WAFU-B Championship final in Ghana last year.

The Burkina Faso tactician is optimistic the game will be a tough encounter, while playing the pressure on his side’s to achieve a World Cup qualification ticket.

“We go into the match with calmness but the enthusiasm to do well and achieve qualification to the World Cup,” Traore told CAFOnline.com.

“But I have insisted with the players that we have to play together as a team and not individually. We want to achieve collectively as a team.

“Both teams have changed and most of the players who played then are not in the team. It will be a different match and definitely tougher.”

The winner of the tie will seal a berth in the semifinal of the U17 Afcon and ticket to U17 World Cup.