Burkina Faso: Bertrand Traoré makes a comeback

On Wednesday, Burkina Faso coach Hubert Velud unveiled the list of the 25 Stallions selected to face Guinea-Bissau (on 17 November in Marrakesh, Morocco) and Ethiopia (on 21 November in El Jadida) on Matchdays 1 and 2 of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

And the big news, of course, is the return of Bertrand Traoré! The Aston Villa (Premier League) striker, who missed the last two qualifiers through injury, is not playing much in England.

Although he did not feature in the last league match at Nottingham Forest, he was in the squad, as he has been for the Villans’ last few outings.

But his scant playing time this season (2 games in the top flight) has not been a hindrance to Hubert Velud.

It has to be said that the former Gone, with his pedigree at club level, 72 caps and 15 goals for the national team, has a rightful place in the squad.

All that remains is to hope that his lack of pace does not have a negative impact on the next two games.

Edmond Tapsoba, central defender with Bayer Leverkusen, is included in the Frenchman’s list.

However, it is not certain that the 24-year-old will make an appearance.

According to a recent statement from his club, he will undergo an operation after suffering a hand injury in his team’s last match.

 Lassina Traoré (Shakhtar Donetsk), currently undergoing rehabilitation following a serious right knee injury sustained in September, is not in the squad.

Cyrille Bayala (AC Ajaccio), who is suffering from a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligaments in his knee, also sustained in September, is also missing from the squad.