The defeat is bitter. Beaten to the wire by Algeria this Sunday during the second day of the group stage of the African Cup of Nations (1-0), Burkina Faso is struggling to digest. Although they were generally dominated, the Burkinabés did not accept to give in to a penalty, believing that they too could have obtained one.
After the match, captain Bertrand Traoré spoke for his teammates and expressed all his frustration. “It was a fairly close match against this Algerian team that we know well,” he regretted. At the start of the match they had control of the game. Afterwards we gained strength, we created chances but it was a shame to lose 1-0 on a penalty. I think there is also a penalty for the first Algerian foul committed on me. But the referee won’t even check. »
Frustrated, the former Olympique Lyonnais winger did not hesitate to question the refereeing body. And more generally the officials of the African Cup of Nations. “As luck would have it, when it’s Algeria, he confirms the penalty,” he remarked. It’s a shame for African football. There are beautiful stadiums, good supporters but the referees ruin the match! »
A speech which will certainly cause a lot of talk, especially as it echoes that of the Tunisians, furious that the referee did not give a red card to a Nigerian player during their match on Saturday. In his enthusiasm, Bertrand Traoré ended his speech dryly. “And at the end the referee pushed me, it’s disappointing. We still lose in the game, but the referees must not spoil the competition. »
