Five Burkina Faso players who could end Bafana's slim hopes of qualifying for the World Cup

05 October 2017 - 11:31 By Mark Gleeson
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Burkina Faso's players and their Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte (front 2nd-L) celebrate with their bronze medals at the end of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations third place football match between Burkina Faso and Ghana in Port-Gentil on February 4, 2017.
Burkina Faso's players and their Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte (front 2nd-L) celebrate with their bronze medals at the end of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations third place football match between Burkina Faso and Ghana in Port-Gentil on February 4, 2017.
Image: Steve JORDAN / AFP

Bertrand Traore underlined his ability with a cracking goal for Olympique Lyonnais in the UEFA Europa League just last week and will be the player that South Africa’s defenders must keep the closest look out for when the two teams meet at Soccer City on Saturday.

The former Chelsea starlet‚ who turned 22 last month‚ is an ex-teammate of Thulani Serero at Ajax Amsterdam but after years of waiting in the wings is now out forging his career without the tag of ‘teenage prospect’ on his shoulders.

Chelsea had him in their academy when he was just 14 but he only got to start 10 games for the English giants in the subsequent years.

In between they shipped him off to gain experience in loan spells in the Netherlands.

Chelsea eventually let him go at the end of last season when his contract elapsed and Lyon moved quickly to snap him up to lead their attack in Ligue 1.

The third youngest player in Nations Cup history when he made a substitute appearance at the 2012 finals in Gabon at the age of 16‚ Traore has played with elder brother Alain in the national team for the last five years.

Bafana coach Stuart Baxter is known for studying the opposition and will also be aware of these other potential match winners for the Burkinabe.

CHARLES KABORE:

The Bobo-Dioulasso-born captain is the midfield anchor of the team who was supposed to go to Barcelona in 2010 but they signed Javier Mascherano instead.

In five years with Olympique Marseille‚ he helped them to a French league and cup double before going to Russia where he earned a massive pay packet when he signed for Kuban Krasnodar.

Now 29-year-old‚ he has been in the Burkinabe national team since he was a teenager and already come out of international retirement‚ quitting after the Nations Cup finals in Gabon at the start of the year but then changing his mind.

PREJUCE NAKOULMA:

The 30-year-old is a dangerous winger who has had a nomadic career but finally now seems to have won the recognition his potential deserves and is playing under veteran coach Claudio Raneiri at Nantes in France’s Ligue 1.

He is quick‚ likes to dribble and cut in and shoots with some venom … if not always accuracy.

He played league football in Poland for a decade before moving to Turkey and now France.

BAKARY KONE:

Nicknamed ‘General Bako’‚ the 29-year-old dreadlocked defender is one of Burkina Faso’s most experienced players.

He was born in the Burkinabe capital Ouagadougou but grew up in neighbouring Ivory Coast‚ where there is a large expatriate population.

He moved to France in 2006 to play at Guingamp‚ starting at the same time as Didier Drogba.

He was a regular at Lyon for five years before moving to La Liga where injury curtailed his appearances for Malaga.

This season he is back in France on loan at newly promoted Strasbourg.

ARISTIDE BANCE:

Former Chippa United striker is now playing at Al Masry in Egypt‚ the 20th club of his journeyman career.

The 33-year-old was born in the Ivory Coast and began his career in the West African country‚ but is a Burkina Faso international because his parents come from the neighbouring country.

He spent six months at Chippa in 2015 but failed to make an impression with three goals in 16 starts.

Bance has also played for clubs in Belgium‚ Finland‚ Germany‚ the Ivory Coast‚ Kazakhstan‚ Latvia‚ Qatar‚ Turkey‚ Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates in a nomadic existence.

The highlight of his career was a season in the Bundesliga with FSV Mainz under Jurgen Klopp after his goals helped them gain promotion.

He scored 10 goals in the top flight in Germany in the 2009-10 season.


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