The young Stallions of Burkina Faso have reached the quarterfinals of the U17 World Cup after egding continental opponents Uganda 5-3 on penalties.
The match had ended in a 1-1 draw at Aspire Zone Pitch 5, the Burkinabe news agency
(AIB) reported.
The West Africans initially withstood the physicality of the Ugandan Cranes before finding their rhythm and imposing themselves in the game.
However it was the East Africans opened the scoring in the 56th minute through Nkoola Arafat, who capitalised on a Burkinabe defensive error.
The Stallions responded 21 minutes later thanks to Alassana Bagayogo, assisted by Mohamed Zongo, who was named man of the match for the second time in the World Cup.
Despite Burkina Faso being the better team toward at the end, neither side could orchestrate a breakthrough, leading to a penalty shootout won by the young Stallions, who were flawless on all five attempts.
A satisfied Stallions coach Oscar Barro said he had asked his charges to avoid physical contact with the opponent, release the ball quickly, and make numerous overlapping runs to unsettle Uganda.
”They managed to get back into the game; it’s a remarkable performance against such a physical team” he said.
Captain Cherif Barro expressed his pride: “It’s an immense joy. We dream of the trophy, and God willing, we’ll go and get it. We knew this match would be difficult, but it’s in these moments that you have to be strong.”
The Junior Stallions will now face Italy’s U17 Squadra Azzurra on November 21 for a place in the semi-finals.
This U17 World Cup marks the third for Burkina Faso, who are aiming for a historic outing with an ambitious and determined generation of players.
DM/ac/Sf/fss/as/APA