2023 AFCON: Angola v Burkina Faso preview

by Thando Mpembe

Monday Jan 22, 2024. 14:07

Angola and Burkina Faso will go head to head in their final Group D match in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament. The match will be played at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium.

Date: 23 January 2024

Kick-off: 22h00 CAT

Head-to-head: There have been eight meetings between Angola and Burkina Faso. Both sides have won three games each and their other two match ups ended with draws as a result. The last time the two played against each other was in an AFCON qualifying clash in November 2018, which Angola won 2-1.

Angola last three results: Angola played to a 1-1 draw against Algeria in their opening fixture in the AFCON. The result was followed by an impressive 3-2 victory against Mauritania. Before the tournament, the country played to a goalless draw against DR Congo in an international friendly.

Burkina Faso last three results: Burkina Faso beat Mauritania 1-0 in their AFCON opener. Following that result, the nation held Algeria to a 1-1 draw in the competition. Before the start of the tournament, Burkina Faso beat DR Congo 2-1 in an international friendly.

Team news: Burkina Faso’s Adama Guira is a doubt after suffering an injury in the first half of their previous match against Algeria.

Angola has no injury doubts ahead of this fixture and most likely will be fielding the same starting XI that successfully defeated Mauritania.

Key player – Angola: Gelson Dala has scored in his last six matches for both club and country. This makes the forward an attacker who will be an important piece of the puzzle to secure a victory.

Key player – Burkina Faso: Bertrand Traore has found the back of the net in consecutive matches as a substitute and could be rewarded with a place in the starting XI for his efforts.