Abidjan, The Stallions dames of Burkina Faso are confident before facing Wednesday at the Robert Champroux stadium in Abidjan (Ivory Coast), their counterparts, the Ecureuils dames du Bénin (4 p.m. UT), counting for the first qualifying round of the CAN in their category, Morocco 2022.
Arrived this Monday evening in Ivorian soil, Pascal Sawadogo and his players have good ambitions for qualifying for the second round of the competition.
After the early elimination of the U20 women in the race for qualification for the 2022 World Cup in their category, Pascal Sawadogo drafted 8 junior players to strengthen the seniors to start the qualifiers for the Women’s CAN.
Entrenched at the Center omnisport des Etalons (COMET), the Burkinabè team has worked hard to put the chances of qualification on its side. ” The ambiance is good. We are preparing seriously because we really have chances to qualify to qualify Burkina in the 12 best teams in Africa, ”said national coach Pascal Sawadogo.
The qualifiers take place in two rounds. In the first round Burkina Faso meets Benin and if successful the team will face the winner of the match Guinea Bissau – Mauritania.
“And if we go there too, it’s the CAN”, enthuses the master thinker Pascal Sawadogo, continuing that “for the first time we had a good draw. Everyone is therefore aware to cross a palliate, that of qualifying Burkina for a CAN ”.
In any case, the Ladies’ Stallions have worked hard in their quiet COMET by increasing the number of friendly matches, to achieve this historic feat of qualifying Burkina Faso.
“The FBF maximizes a lot on the CAN. The U20s were a bonus to give us a good core. It allowed us to draft 8 U20 players to complete. There is therefore physical freshness, youth and I can say that we have a good group, ”said coach Sawadogo.
The regrets of the elimination of the U20 still haunt the technical staff and even the players but the group tries to forget this episode. “Each time we have remorse because we could have qualified. But once the match is over we move on to another stage. We played two friendly matches (against younger men’s teams from the city of Ouagadougou: editor’s note) to dispel fear and pessimism ”.
Hope reigns in the group
For the first friendly meeting that we attended, there was certainly a defeat (3-2) but there is a grain of hope in this ladies’ team, as the head coach emphasizes: “we had some great actions and it can be comforting. We are also here for mental work because of the time we have left ”.
Before the technical supervision returned from their elimination with the U20 women, the seniors benefited for a week from work with a physical trainer. “We came on October 11 to improve tactically because now there has to be confidence to be able to attack the opponent,” explains Pascal Sawadogo.
In training matches, players who are not classified perform analysis and note-taking work. The attackers, midfielders, defenders and goalkeepers are together and take notes in a notebook and coach Sawadogo explains that “at the same time as they take notes from their comrades on the pitch, they learn more and correct themselves. same. It is because we do not have the means otherwise we had to film the matches and the beautiful sequences can be put on the players’ laptops.
Playing against men’s teams prepares the squad for tough times, according to team staff. Striker Limata Nikiéma, who has just signed for Raja Aitiazza (Moroccan D1), is too impatient to play this match.
“Despite my scratches on my knee I can play and I will be fine.” Adèle Kaboré who scored the only goal in Banjul with the juniors is in the group. The captain of the USFA Colombes Balkissa Sawadogo, champion of Burkina Faso this season, exudes form.
All the ingredients are there for a good result in Abidjan this October 20, the Burkinabè team only had the morning and at 5 p.m. of the day before the match to make contact with the lawn of Champroux, due to a delay for reach the Ivorian economic capital (problem of theft).
Even the opponent, Benin, preceded Burkina Faso which hosts the meeting. The return match is scheduled for October 24 in Porto-Novo, Benin. The CAN 2022 for women is played in Morocco.
Source: Burkina Information Agency