Burkina Faso will kick off their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2023) campaign against Mauritania. Which of these teams will reign supreme at the end of this game?
Burkina Faso vs Mauritania overview
This Group D match will take place at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké on Tuesday January 16. Kick-off time is 3 pm WAT.
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso have been one of the most underrated teams in the Africa Cup of Nations. Although they are never talked about when it comes to pre-tournament favourites, the Stallions actually reached the semi-final in three of the last five editions of the AFCON.
To be fair, Burkina Faso are still hunting for their first AFCON title. However, they've finished second, third and fourth in the last five Nations Cup events.
Mauritania
On the other hand, Mauritania had never qualified for the AFCON up until 2019. They've now qualified for three consecutive Nations Cup events since then.
Truth be told, the Lions of Chinguetti have a poor record at this tournament. They finished last in their previous two outings, and currently have no wins at the AFCON (W0, D2, L4). It'll be interesting to see if things will change here in Ivory Coast.
Burkina Faso vs Mauritania head to head
Interestingly, these teams clashed a couple of months ago in a friendly match, and Burkina Faso came out on top in a 2-1 victory.
This will be the 10th clash between these teams since they first met in May 1987. Burkina Faso have dominated previous skirmishes between these outfits, with five wins, three draws and a loss.
Although both teams squared off against each other in the qualifying rounds of AFCON 2000 and 2019, this will be their first meeting in the main tournament.
Burkina Faso vs Mauritania potential lineups
Burkina Faso are expected to line up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Bertrand Traoré and Hassane Bande leading the charge.
Meanwhile Mauritania's coach Amir Abdou will likely start Guingamp's Babacar Nassie in goal. He fancies a 4-3-3 formation.
On that note, these are our probable Burkina Faso vs Mauritania lineups:
Burkina Faso
Goalkeeper: Herve Koffi.
Defenders: Issa Kaboré, Edmond Tapsoba, Ismahila Ouédraogo, Abdoul Gueibre.
Midfielders: Dango Ouattara, Issoufou Dayo, Stephane Aziz Ki, Adama Guira.
Forwards: Bertrand Traoré, Hassane Bande.
Mauritania
Goalkeeper: Babacar Niasse.
Defenders: Aly Abeid, Bakary N’Diaye, Nouh Mohamed, Lamine Ba.
Midfielders: Idrissa Thiam, Amar Bouna, Omare Gassama.
Forwards: Aboubakary Koita, Hemeya Tanjy, Abdallahi Mahmoud.
Burkina Faso vs Mauritania tactical analysis
Burkina Faso have had a fairly decent run, with three wins, a draw and a loss in their last five matches. They've been consistent when it comes to finding the net, scoring in five consecutive games.
However, Burkina Faso's defence hasn't been very solid in recent months, as they kept just one clean sheet in that five-game stretch.
Mauritania, on the other hand, are currently on a four-match winless streak. They have also struggled to find the net, scoring no goals in their last three games.
Burkina Faso vs Mauritania prediction
Taking Mauritania's recent shortcomings into account, coupled with their abysmal record at the AFCON, we don't think Amir Abdou's troops will win this match.
Burkina Faso tend to play well against Mauritania, having lost just once in nine previous meetings between these sides. All things considered, anything other than a victory for Burkina Faso would be a surprise.
That said, our Burkina Faso vs Mauritania prediction is a win for the Stallions.
Where to watch Burkina Faso vs Mauritania live
RTB, Supersport Maximo and Canal+ CAN will broadcast this match on TV for fans who reside in Burkina Faso.
Meanwhile Mauritanians can tune into AfroSport TV, Supersport Football Plus and beIN Sports 1 AFCON for live coverage of this match.
