AFCON 2023: Algeria Vs Burkina Faso Preview
Written by Oluwaseun Oyediji
In need of their first win at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), 2019 champions, Algeria faces 2013 finalist, Burkina Faso in both sides second group encounter.
Algeria were left frustrated following their 2023 AFCON opener as they let a one-goal lead slip in a 1-1 draw against unfancied Angola.
The Fennecs will now look to pick themselves up against Burkina Faso as they bid to win their first match at the tournament since lifting the trophy in 2019 under the guidance of current manager Djamel Belmadi.
Given the two-time AFCON winners have a patchy head-to-head (H2H) record against their upcoming opponents, with Algeria having tasted victory in just seven of their 18 previous meetings (five draws and six losses) and two of their last seven (three draws and two losses), this game perhaps isn’t as cut-and-dry as their favourites tag suggests.
That said, Algeria can perhaps take heart from the fact that they reached the semi-finals of this tournament when it was last staged in the Ivory Coast in 1984.
Algeria haven’t scored more than once in any of their last five AFCON finals games.
Player to watch
Riyad Mahrez scored Algeria’s second in a 4-0 pre-tournament warm-up win over Burundi and has taken to the Saudi Pro League swimmingly with Al-Ahli, racking up 14 goal involvements (eight goals and six assists) in 19 matches.
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso currently sit atop Group D, but only after a real battle against Mauritania which was finally settled by a 96th-minute Bertrand Traoré penalty.
The Stallions’ AFCON record has improved significantly in recent editions as they reached the final in 2013 before coming third and fourth in 2017 and 2021 respectively.
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But defeating Algeria would undoubtedly represent one of Burkina Faso’s biggest-ever scalps and be the first time since overcoming Tunisia in January 2022 that they had beaten a country ranked inside the world’s top-30 (four losses since).
Hubert Velud’s men are also on a mean streak against African opposition, having lost just twice in their last 14 such games (eight wins and four draws).
Players to watch
The aforementioned Betrand Traoré has struck in each of Burkina Faso’s last three competitive internationals, netting after the hour mark on all three occasions.
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