Burkina Faso vs Mauritania Prediction Match Details
2013 AFCON finalist Burkina Faso will kick off their journey in the 2023 edition of the most prestigious trophy when they face off against Mauritania’s Lions of Chinguetti at the 40,000-capacity Stade de la Paix.
Burkina Faso Preview & Form
Burkina Faso boast an impressive track record at the AFCON, having reached the semifinals or finals in three of the last five tournaments in the past decade. The Stallions have participated in AFCON 12 times before. In 2013, they had their finest showing, making it to the final but losing to Nigeria by a score of 1-0. Additionally, they secured a third-place finish in 2017, defeating Ghana in the third-place play-off. They also finished in fourth place twice, in 1998 and two years ago, losing the third-place match to DR Congo and Cameroon, respectively, on penalties.
The Stallions enter this tournament with confidence, having won three of their last five games in all competitions. In their recent warm-up game, they secured a 2-1 victory over DR Congo. Their current scoring streak of 14 matches in the AFCON is the longest active streak and the second-longest in the tournament’s history, behind Egypt’s 27-match scoring record from 1957 to 1980.
Mauritania Preview & Form
Mauritania will be out for their first win in the AFCON when they face the Stallions of Burkina Faso in their third consecutive Africa Cup of Nations appearance, marking their third-ever participation in the tournament. Unfortunately, the team have yet to secure a win in their six previous group-stage matches, making them one of the least successful teams in AFCON history.
Prior to this match, Mauritania endured a goal drought of 468 minutes in the AFCON, being one of only two teams that failed to score throughout the entire 2021 tournament, despite registering 38 shots on goal. Their sole goal in six AFCON games came from a penalty.
Key Player to Watch
For the Stallions, all eyes will be on Burkina Faso attacker Dango Ouattara, particularly in Bertrand Isidore Traoré’s absence due to injury. With four goals and an assist, Dango played a crucial role in contributing to his team’s impressive 63% goal-scoring percentage in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches.
On the other side, Aboubakary Koita, who opted to play for Mauritania over the opportunity to represent Belgium or Senegal in 2023, will be a player to watch in this clash. The prolific scorer has been shining for Sint-Truiden this season, scoring an astounding 11 goals in just 20 Jupiler Pro League outings.
Burkina Faso vs Mauritania Betting Tips
Despite this being the first-ever meeting between the two teams at the AFCON, Burkina Faso hold a significantly better head-to-head record against Mauritania, securing 5 wins and 3 draws in 9 matches. Mauritania’s qualification for three consecutive AFCONs since 2019 has not yielded a good result, as they are yet to secure a victory. Despite Mauritania’s strong defence, Burkina Faso are expected to find a way to score in this Africa Cup of Nations match, given their scoring streak in the last fourteen matches.
Remarkably, only one of the ten head-to-head matches between Burkina Faso and Mauritania has seen over 2.5 goals. Mauritania’s strong defence and lacklustre offence have been evident in their past two goalless encounters.
