Afcon 2017:Group A- Burkina Faso Team

Afcon 2017: Hosts Gabon face Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Guinea-Bissau in Group A

BURKINA FASO:
Nickname: Stallions
Nations Cup High Point: (Runners-up 2013)
How they qualified: Taking three points off Uganda was key to finishing top of a tightly-contested group because of a superior head-to-head record.
Team Guide: Hosts in 1998, Burkina Faso will be making their 10th appearance in the last 12 tournaments.
The 2013 tournament in South Africa is the only Nations Cup outside of Burkina Faso where the Stallions have ever won a match.
Their opening group victory over Ethiopia in 2013 represented the first time Burkina had won a match outside of their homeland (i.e. when hosting the 1998 Nations Cup) in 22 times of asking.
In Equatorial Guinea in 2015, they again failed to win a match.
Qualification for Gabon was a bit of a struggle for the Stallions and they certainly do not have the look of continental kings about them.
The Coach: Will his second coming be a success? Paulo Duarte was previously in charge of Burkina Faso between 2007 and 2012, leading them to two Nations Cups appearances. The 47-year-old Portuguese is also a former coach of host nation and group rivals, Gabon.
Key Player: Bertrand Traore is undoubtedly one of the most exciting forwards in African football today. He became a Stallion at the age of 15, and is the younger brother of Alain, who has been a lynchpin of the side in recent tournaments. Now aged 21, he is on a season-long loan at Dutch side Ajax from Chelsea.
How far can Burkina go? In 10 Nations Cups, the Burkinabe have failed on eight occasions to get past the group stage. However, on both occasions they have got out of the group, they have reached at least the semi-finals (1998, 2013). If they manage to beat Cameroon in their opening game, they will truly shake up the group.