Burkina Faso vs Equatorial Guinea: Group E Battle for Second Place
by Geoffrey Ejiga | by Geoffrey Ejiga
Redemption for Burkina Faso After Controversial World Cup Exit?
Burkina, the favourites in their opener, have been nothing short of incredible this year. The Stallions finished second place in the CAF World Cup qualifiers with the second-most wins, most goals, and second-fewest conceded in their group.
Only a controversial CAF rule, deducting points for matches against teams that withdrew from the qualifiers, saw Burkina missing out on the playoffs to Nigeria. Now, The Stallions seek redemption after an incredible year, and possibly a chance to win their first AFCON title. But first, a Group E qualification spot finish is in order, and Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, and Sudan are in the way.
The opener for Burkina against the National Thunder is especially important, as both nations are the second and third favourites to qualify, respectively. Looking for the best bet in this heated clash? See our expert's Burkina Faso vs Equatorial Guinea prediction!
If the two countries manage to beat Sudan and/or lose or draw to Algeria, then the winner of this game is poised for a second-place finish. The victor here might only need another win against Sudan to guarantee a knockout spot. Burkina Faso are favourites on paper, but Equatorial Guinea’s defence might cause problems for The Stallions in front of goal.
Burkina Faso vs Equatorial Guinea: Game Plan and Players to Watch
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso’s game plan will revolve around their offensive strength, featuring players with extreme pace and considerable strength, plus shooting efficiency. We saw The Stallions' attacking brilliance on full display in the WC qualifiers, where they scored 2.3 goals per game in ten matches, even outscoring Egypt.
We're likely going to see a starting lineup of Brentford’s Dango Ouattara, Sunderland’s Bertrand Traore, and possibly Hearts’ Pierre Landry Kabore after his 9 G/A contributions in his last 12 games.
Kabore played only three CAF WC games with the national team this year. But his back-to-back hat tricks in his last two games for The Stallions should earn him a starting spot, especially as goals are a priority. But what truly makes Burkina’s offensive style work is their relatively solid defence, with one of the best keepers in the 2025 AFCON, Harve Koffi, betweent the sticks.
Havre only allowed 0.6 goals per game, which saw Burkina concede the fewest goals in their CAF WC qualifier group. What's more, Koffi is arguably Ligue 1’s best goalkeeper this season, recording the highest saves per game, the highest goals prevented per game, and keeping the joint third-highest clean sheets.
Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea must be very decisive in possession if they hope to walk away with a point, or all three. Burkina’s offensive style will likely see the National Thunder doing a lot of defending in this game. And this means their best chances might be limited to counterattacks.
Thankfully, Equatorial Guinea has Saul Coco, Torino’s best defender and highest-rated player this season, to rely on at the back. When they do win the ball, getting it to forwards Loren Zuniga and Emilio Nsue quickly should be the plan.
Nsue, while 35 years old, is still a major threat to defenders. He has goals in each of his last three games and has been prolific for the National Thunder in recent times. In his last 14 games for the country, Nsue has 11 goals, which include a brace and a hat-trick against Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea-Bissau in the last edition of this tournament.
Equatorial Guinea have the men, but whether they execute is an answer we'll be getting by 12:30 GMT.
