adminHappiness at once again making it to the premier football competition on the continent will be balanced by fear of another embarrassing showing before a worldwide TV audience. Les Etalons (The Stallions) have gone 17 matches without a victory at the tournament since 1998, and the last win came against Guinea when they surpassed expectations even as hosts with a fourth-place finish under Philippe Troussier.
The French coach may have had a short temper and did not suffer some press conference questions gladly, but he brought out the best in the Burkinabe as seven other appearances have ended in first-round exits. Some departures have been gallant while others have been humiliating with the team failing to secure a single point at the 1978, 1996 and 2012 championships after three consecutive losses in each.
It is a fate no other country has suffered in the 56 years of the Cup of Nations and the latest coach tasked with trying to get Burkina Faso beyond the initial mini-league phase for the first time is Belgian Paul Put.
He says his biggest concern is rank outsiders Ethiopia, which is strange given that Zambia won the last tournament in Gabon/Equatorial Guinea a year ago and Nigeria can boast of 13 top-three finishes from 16 appearances. — AFP.
Online Reporter