Burkina Faso emerges as a compelling underdog, poised to shatter the status quo.
As the 34th edition of Afcon looms large on the horizon, Burkina Faso's head coach, Hubert Velud, is boldly asserting that his team not only has a fighting chance but could very well be the dark horse that rewrites the tournament's history.
Burkina Faso, despite never clinching an Afcon title like some of their counterparts, is gearing up for a transformative journey, fueled by Coach Velud's unwavering confidence.
In a recent statement, the former JS Kabylie coach expressed his belief that the Stallions are not only favorites but also carry an element of luck shared by other formidable nations in the competition.
“I believe that many teams can win this edition of the Nations Cup. It’s an open competition and I think it will be the biggest of its kind in history. There are a lot of very good teams participating in this competition. The Burkina national team has its chances in this competition because it takes place in Ivory Coast, close to the country,” he said.
“There is a geographical and cultural proximity given that it is a neighboring country and there are many Burkinabés living in Côte d’Ivoire. We can therefore consider that we are playing on our soil, and this element is important to motivate our team and therefore we will take advantage of our opportunity in this tournament,” he added.