by
Bertin Basson
Saturday Oct 07, 2017. 09:00
Bertrand Traore is hopeful that Burkina Faso can add to South Africa's recent woes when the two teams lock horns at the FNB Stadium in Soweto on Saturday.
The Stallions currently lead the way in Group D, with six points from four 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and have subsequently set their sights on a first ever appearance at a world showpiece.
Traore, 22, revealed that he was surprised by Bafana Bafana's failure to pick up a single point from back-to-back games against Cape Verde, but is delighted that the results have played to his country's favour.
The reverse fixture between South Africa and Burkina Faso in Ouagadougou last year ended in a 1-1 stalemate.
"The South African team that played against us was a strong team,” Traore is quoted as saying.
“They had the most possession and they dominated the game. It was quite difficult for us. I was surprised to see them dropping points against Cape Verde. It’s strange. I don’t know what happened.
"But that’s good for us, because we also didn’t take as many points as we should have from Senegal. We are still in the running to qualify for the World Cup. We have to focus on the job at hand. I hope they play like they did against Cape Verde. That would be good for us," he concluded.
Moreover, the Lyon ace highlighted his desire to reach next year's World Cup in Russia, having narrowly missed out on ending their hiatus three years ago.
“It’s a dream for all of us to go to the World Cup,” Traore added. “Burkina Faso have never played in a World Cup. We were nearly there in 2014. We failed in the last game. We have a chance to make amends for that so we have to take it," he concluded.
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