As part of the profiling of the sixteen competing Nations, we direct the continental lense towards Burkina Faso, then known as Upper Volta.
The French speaking country will be heading to Gabon for their 9th AFCON with onr final appearance under their belt.Ahead of their gruop A clashes with Gabon, Giunea Bissau and Cameroon, we ask our readers how well they know the Stallions.
Surrounded by six nations on its geographic poles, Upper Volta as it was known then made her AFCON bow in Ghana for the 1997 edition of the tournament. The inexperienced side exited at the gruop stages but the lessons learnt later proved crucial as they sealed the final berth in the 2013 edition.
Then headed by Thormas Sankara before the renaming, the 274, 200 square km proved too small for the leader to control.
He steered his side into one of the finest gold producing counties in the continent. Upper Volta soon outgrew its boundaries and was officially named as Burkina Faso on February 4, 1984. A combination of gold, Manganese, and marble are the natural resources based in Burkina Faso.
Name of country: Burkina Faso
Nick name of national team; Stallions
Captain: Charles Kabore
AFCON DEBUT:1978
AFCON APPEARANCE: 9
Best Ever Finish: Finalist in 2013
SUB FEDERATION: WAFU
LAND AREA: 274, 200 sq km
POPULATION: 17,million
President: Roch Mark Kabore
Heading into the 1998 Nations cup as the host of the 21st edition of the tournament, The Stallions of Burkina Faso finished their campaign on the podium for the first time. The long term ambition of host and win gatecrashed at the semis with a heartbreaking 2-0 defeat at the hands of Egypt, eventual winners of the Ouagadougou hosted event.
Pitched in gruop A alongside Cameroon, Algeria and Giunea, the Stallions capitalized on their home support to make the last eight as gruop runners up.
A dominant Cameroon side surged to the top of the pile with seven points, one richer than thr host. An opening day set back at the hands of the indomitable Lions gingered the determined side into two straight wins over Giunea and Algeria. The inspirational Ouderago scored and assisted in a 2-1 win over the Desert Foxes of Algeria before turning up the screw in a tight 1-0 win over Guinea.
In gruop B, Tunisia andDR Congo together ended the campaign for Ghana and neighboring Togo. The Black Stars and the Hawks returned to the atmosphere, where they belonge
d, after a dreadful start to their respective tournaments.Mohammed Gargo and the then in form Nyaro were the only bright spot in a gloomy tournament for the four times African champions.
Cote I Voire and South Africa qualified from gruop C at the expense of Angola and Namibia whiles Morroco and Egypt made up the top eight. The copper bullets from Zambia joined Mozambique back home from gruop D.
In the quater final ties, Cameroona and DR Congo stunned the footbal world with stellar and refined African football. In the end , the Lubumbashi based side progressed with a 1-0 win. South African Benni McCarthy registered a double for the Baffana Baffana in a 2-1 win over the Atlas Lions of Morroco.
Ouderago the sent Burkina Faso agog when he leveled the scoring for thr host in a1-1 drawn game. The tie was eventually decided by the lottery of the spot kicks in an 8-7 win. Egypt and Ivory Coast sold out a thrilling 0-0 score line in the last quarter final but lady luck smiled in favour of the Pharoahs. It ended 5-4 from the spot.
At the last four stage, Benni McCarthy double his personal tally in the game with a brace in a 2-1 win. The goal poacher needed extra time to end the tourney for the Congolese as they book their Lubumbashi bound flight.
In the other semis tie, Hossan Hassan inked his name into the history books of the tournament with a lightening double in a 2-0 win over the host, Burkina Faso.The attacking midfielder exchanged strikes on either halfs to silence the home fans in Ouga.
An eight goal festival in the third and fourth placr match between Burkina Faso and DR Congo remains a tournament record for medal match, it however could not separate them in the 4-4 goal rush. It headed to the spot and the host saw their dreams vanquished in a 4-1 win for DR Congo.
Hossan Hassan and Imad Mostapha came to the party for the Pharoahs in the creme de la crème. The pair both found the back of the net against an in form Baffana Baffana who were inches away from defending their 1996 trophy won on home soil. In a match officiated by Morrocan referee Said Belqola, the devilish nature of Pharoah was too hazardous for the boys from South Africa. It ended 2-0 for the North Africans.
Hossan Hassan added his player of the tournament award to the official CAF XI as released by the federation.
Nader El Said(Egy),Mark Fish(RSA), Jojo(Mor), Nouredeen Naybert(Tun),Mohammed Emara(Egy), Charles Akunnor(Gha), Hassan Gabsi (Tun)Tshiresona Guel(CIV), Ekanza Simba(DRC) Hossan Hassan(Egy), Benni McCarthy (RSA). By Saani Abacha