Cape Town — The Women’s Africa Cup of Nations kicks off when hosts Morocco take on Burkina Faso in Rabat next week.
Today, IOL Sport’s Herman Gibbs profiles The Stallions, who are in Group A alongside hosts Morocco, Senegal, and Uganda.
Team Profile: Burkina Faso
Nickname: The Stallions
FIFA Ranking: Does not have a ranking
How they qualified:
The Stallions started their incredible journey to the continental showpiece with a 6-0 first-round thrashing of Eritrea on aggregate last October. They followed up their fine start with a convincing second-round 11-1 bashing of Djibouti to earn a maiden ticket.
Results, first round: Eritrea 0-5 Burundi (0-1)
Second round: Burundi 6-1 Djibouti (5-0)
WAFCON preparation:
The Burkinabes are gearing up for the finals and have since commenced preparation camp with the training dominated by players in the domestic league. They are scheduled to play a couple of friendlies, including with some top clubs in the West Africa region.
Coach: Gustave Niyonkuru
Niyonkuru has been overseeing the transition of women's players, from the Under-20s to the senior level since 2019. Having guided the team to a historic WAFCON berth, his next task will be leading the nation to a maiden success.
Key players, Joelle Bukuru:
The midfielder starred for the Swallows at the 2019 CECAFA Senior Women's Challenge Cup, where they finished fourth. The 23-year-old, who currently championing Simba's title hunt in Tanzania, will be one of the Burundians to keep an eye out for at the 12-nation event.
Rukiya Bizimana:
The FC Etoile du Matin forward was a huge bargain during the qualifying series, notably scoring four goals in two-legged triumphs over Djibouti in February. Her scoring exploits will offer a huge prospect for the debutant East African nation.
IOL Sport