Burkina Faso: Stallions win in Guinea-Bissau and keep hopes alive for 2026 World Cup
In a crucial match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Burkina Faso’s Stallions secured a valuable 2-1 victory over Guinea-Bissau on Monday, March 24, 2025. This performance at the 24th September National Stadium in Bissau allows the team, led by Brama Traoré, to maintain a perfect record in this double-header, following their win against Sierra Leone.
In the 6th minute, the Burkinabe took the lead through a quick play initiated by goalkeeper Hervé Koffi. The ball was passed up by Issa Kaboré to Lassina Traoré, who confidently found the back of the net. A perfect start that immediately put pressure on the Bissau-Guineans.
Under the guidance of their coach Luís Boa Morte, the Guineans did not give up. After several chances thwarted by Koffi (notably in the 27th minute), they finally equalized in the 36th minute with a goal from Zidane Banjaqui, who caused problems in the Burkinabe defense before the break.
In the second half, the Stallions regained control of the game. The introduction of new players revitalized the team, and they eventually made the difference in the 73rd minute: from a corner kick, Bertrand Traoré found Adama Nagano, whose header was redirected by Franck Traoré to secure the win for his team.
With this victory, Burkina Faso keeps their qualification hopes alive with 11 points in the standings, trailing Egypt (13 points), but with one match less than the Pharaohs. It’s important to note that for the 2026 edition, Africa will have 9 qualifying spots.
The next step for the Stallions: the matches in September 2025, where every point will be crucial in their historic World Cup qualification race.
