U17 AFCON: Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire battle for third

A West African contest awaits in Casablanca tonight as Burkina Faso take on Côte d’Ivoire in the third-place play-off of the TotalEnergies U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium. Kick-off is set for 10:00pm EAT.

Both teams come into the match licking wounds from semi-final exits, but a podium finish remains a strong incentive. For Côte d’Ivoire, this is a chance to restore pride after back-to-back goalless draws in the knockout rounds, while Burkina Faso aim to bounce back from a bruising loss to Mali.

Burkina Faso head coach Oscar Barro knows what’s at stake.

"It will be a tough match, that's for sure, but at this level no game is easy. We want to win and we will give it our all. We have picked some crucial lessons from the loss to Mali and will do better."

Burkina Faso had been unbeaten in open play before the semi-final defeat and boasted the tournament’s leading scorer in Asharaf Tapsoba, who had scored in every game until the Mali loss. However, they’ll be without Ali Kone and Alassana Bagayogo, both sent off during that game.

Côte d’Ivoire head coach Bassiriki Diabaté acknowledged the disappointment of falling short of the final but emphasised the importance of finishing well.

"Our target was to win the title but we fell off and now have another chance to finish off strongly. We expect a very tough match - it’s more like a derby and therefore we will treat the game with the respect it deserves. The mood in camp is okay and we have no major concerns ahead of the game."

Côte d’Ivoire come into this fixture with a curious record: they’ve scored ten goals in the group stage but have now gone three consecutive matches without finding the net. Still, defensively, they’ve been solid - keeping clean sheets in all three of their knockout matches and conceding just three goals all tournament.

This will be the first ever meeting between Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire in a third-place play-off at U-17 AFCON. Historically, these games rarely end in deadlocks - only one has needed penalties since 1995. Burkina Faso have a perfect record in this fixture, winning bronze in 2009 and 2023, while Côte d’Ivoire have won one and lost one in their previous third-place matches.

A victory for either side would see them join Guinea and Mali as the most frequent finishers in third-place matches in tournament history.

With pride, history, and bragging rights on the line, both sides are expected to approach tonight’s match with the seriousness of a final.