COACH of Burkina Faso, Paulo Duarte has said that his men remain focused at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Gabon, as they seek another place in the final of the biennial showpiece when they face Egypt today.
Burkina Faso, it will be recalled, lost 0-1 to Nigeria in the final of the 2013 AFCON in South Africa, and the trainer believes the Stallions are not under pressure to win their first major silverware on the continent.
“We dream of doing better than in 2013. It will not be easy. We cannot know what the future will be, only God knows,” said Duarte.
“The important thing is that the players do not lose their humility.”
Burkina Faso, who beat Tunisia 2-0 in the quarterfinals on Saturday, have progressed even though serious injury has cost them two key players in the first round.
Jonathan Pitroipa, named the best player of the 2013 tournament, and Spanish-based striker Jonathan Zongo were ruled out in the opening week after knee injuries.
“But we have other players. This is a team that I started building seven years ago and I know all their abilities,” Duarte added as Burkina Faso prepared for the semifinal.
“They are a team capable of giving a fantastic show. The quality and the confidence is there.”
Burkina Faso have developed a level of consistency over the last decades and since 1996 have qualified for 10 of the last 12 Nations Cup finals tournaments.
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