Former Aston Villa forward Bertrand Traoré scored as Burkina Faso secured a 2-0 victory over Burundi on Sunday, becoming the first team to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Mohamed Konaté, who plays in Saudi Arabia and has had a nine-year career with nine different clubs, opened the scoring just five minutes into the match in Abidjan. Traoré, now with Ajax after leaving Villa Park earlier this year, came off the bench to convert a penalty four minutes into added time during the Group L qualifier.
This victory for Burkina Faso came just three days after they triumphed over Burundi 4-1 in their previous match, also held in Abidjan. Former champions Senegal will join Burkina Faso in Morocco next year if they secure a win against Malawi on Tuesday. Currently, Burkina Faso sits on 10 points, Senegal has seven, Burundi has three, and Malawi is yet to score.
This will mark Burkina Faso’s 14th AFCON appearance, with their best performance being a runners-up finish to Nigeria in South Africa 11 years ago.
An additional eight qualifiers are set for Monday, with 15 more on Tuesday. The final two matchdays will take place between November 11-19. Morocco, as the host nation, will automatically qualify for the next AFCON but is also participating in the qualifying rounds to gain competitive experience.
Both qualifiers were hosted in Ivory Coast since Burkina Faso and Burundi are among 16 nations that cannot play at home due to lacking international-standard stadiums.
Burkina Faso has made a strong recovery after a disappointing performance at the 2024 AFCON in Ivory Coast, where they exited in the last 16 following a 2-1 loss to Mali. After the dismissal of French coach Hubert Velud, his successor, Brama Traoré, has led the team to the 2025 finals, following a draw with Senegal, a victory over Malawi, and two wins against Burundi.
