Badly treated by the Covid-19 in the first round of CAN 2022, Burkina Faso has coped and finds itself among the eight best teams in Africa. Tunisia suffered a lot in the first round before scalping the Nigerian ogre in the round of 16. But of these two selections forged in adversity, only one will see the last four.
From our special correspondent in Garoua,
The quarter-finals of the AFCON 2022 open this Sunday, January 29 with, to start, Gambia-Cameroon in Douala, then Burkina Faso-Tunisia in Garoua. The Stallions and the Eagles of Carthage have not crossed swords for five years and a day. It was during the quarter-finals (already) of the CAN 2017. And that January 28, in Libreville in Gabon, the Burkinabè had won by scoring in the last ten minutes (2-0).
At the time of the reunion, difficult to identify a favorite. These two teams have in common to have experienced complicated passages since the start of the competition in Cameroon. And to have managed to climb up to the quarters despite everything.
Bertrand Traoré and Dayo Issoufou uncertain
After having had to compose several times without a number of important players because positive for Covid-19, especially at the start of CAN, Burkina Faso finally presents itself in full, or almost. ” The boys all tested negative “, coach Kamou Malo confirmed to us in training, on the eve of the quarter-final. But the technician still has some problems to manage.
There is a bit of fatigue in the Burkinabe legs after extra time and the penalty shootout against Gabon in the previous round. ” We are in a good recovery streak », nuance Kamou Malo. The real problem lies elsewhere: We deplore some uncertainties related to cases of muscle injuries. »
The coach makes no secret. ” Bertrand Traoré and Dayo Issoufou are in care and train away from the group “, he reveals. The captain and the vice-captain could be missing. The medical staff is at work and still reserves its ” final verdict “.
The injuries of Issoufou and Traoré are not ideal before facing a “ very good team from Tunisia, concedes Kamou Malo. ” She plays homogeneous football, she is very compact in the blocks and she is very well placed tactically. “, observes the coach, who expects to find Sunday a” big team ” facing him.
” Sometimes it’s not the strongest who wins »
It’s that the Carthage Eagles impressed against Nigeria in the round of 16. After a victory and two defeats in Group F, the Tunisians were clearly not favored by the forecasts before facing the Super Eagles, who had won their three first-round matches. And yet, it was Tunisia that emerged victorious from this match, with a goal signed by Youssef Msakni.
A result that was not no surprise for Mondher Kebaier. ” We believed in it from the start. Many wanted to bury the Tunisia team, no one believed that they were capable of winning against Nigeria. We approached the match with a lot of confidence, with a warrior spirit. Our game plan worked “, Appreciates the coach, who insists:” It was deserved. »
Mondher Kebaier does not change anything in his ambitions announced even before the start of the CAN: yes, Tunisia wants to play the leading roles and fight for the title. ” We believe in it, we have confidence in our means “, he repeats. But Burkina Faso, which stands in the way of his team, is not taken lightly. The coach has done his homework and knows the value of the Stallions.
” This team played twice against Algeria (in 2021 in the World Cup qualifiers, editor’s note). She went 1-1 at home and 2-2 away. Against Cameroon, she made an exceptional match. It’s a very solid team, with a compact block. She places very dangerous counters. We will have to be patient and play our football to make a difference. “Mondher Kebaier slips that” sometimes it’s not the strongest who wins in the knockout matches. Something to add a little more interest to this quarter-final in the form of a remake of 2017.
