Burkina Faso forward Souleymane Alio is confident of their fighting spirit for the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations title following their 2-1 defeat of Nigeria at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers on Thursday.
Though the 16-year-old’s name was not on the scoresheet, his performance against the Golden Eaglets earned him the man of the match award as the Young Stallions progressed to the semifinals of the tournament and booked a ticket to the U-17 FIFA World Cup.
While speaking to the media after the game, Alio believes his teammates are highly motivated to get the nation’s second title of the tournament.
“We are delighted with the ticket to the World Cup and now, the focus shifts to the title and we will try to win it,” Alio said. “We have a good team and we can do it.
On winning the man of the match award, the forward expressed his delight while also appreciating the contributions of his teammates.
“Although I did not score, I feel I did well to help my team,” the New Stars FC forward said.
“Overall, we played as a team and worked hard for the victory against a very tough opponent,” he concluded.
Two goals from Aboubacar Sidiki Camara helped Burkina Faso to the victory, despite Abubakar Abdullahi pulling one back for Nigeria.
Burkina Faso will now return to Annaba, where they played their group stage games, as they prepare to face the Young Teranga Lions of Senegal in the semi-finals at the Mohamed Hamlaoui Stadium on Sunday.
