Dar-es-salaam: The Stallions A' of Burkina Faso announced Tuesday at a pre-match press conference in Dar-Es-Salaam (Tanzania), that they intend to bounce back tomorrow Wednesday against the "novices" Fauves du Bas-Oubangui of the Central African Republic for their second outing in the African Nations Championship (CHAN KETZUG 2024) in Group B, based in the Tanzanian capital.
According to Burkina Information Agency, for their second outing in a tough Group B, the Stallions A' are looking to put their 2-0 defeat against one of the three CHAN host countries, Tanzania, behind them. Coach Issa Balbon© and captain Patrick Malo displayed a winning face at the pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
Burkinabe coach Balbon© recalled that their first outing was "a non-match" and they must quickly get back into the competition. He explained that he missed his team's physical freshness at the start of this competition, due to the ups and downs of the travels.
Its captain, Patrick Malo, admitted to having had a difficult match but "we will use this match (defeat) to ensure that this does not happen again."
It is true that the Central African Republic is participating in its first CAF (Confederation of African Football) competition, without any experience, but the Burkinabe coach is playing it safe for this type of match.
"We must be very careful and not neglect any team in this competition. We hold our destiny in our own hands and we have an obligation to deliver results. We must do everything to honor our country," stressed Issa Balbon©.
For captain Patrick Malo, "there are no longer any small teams. We have to approach the match with more concentration and seriousness. The atmosphere is healthy in the group and everyone is 100%."
Central African Republic coach S©bastien Ngato does not share the same opinion as those who think that the Fauves du Bas-Oubangui, his team, is the underdog in this Group B. His objective could not be clearer: "we have to make people talk about us next year."
This sports teacher and sports inspector in the Central African administration said that he and his team are feeling good, even though this is their first time experiencing a competition of this level.
"The goal is to get out of the group. We're going to find a wounded tiger up front. The chances are 50%, 50%," he said, before his captain Donald Ghetto reassured that we are very focused. We'll give it our all tomorrow. We like to take people by surprise."
Tanzania, which won against Burkina Faso, is in first place with 3 points (+2), followed by Mauritania and Madagascar (1 point +0), Central African Republic (0 points), and Burkina Faso (0 points -2).
The Burkina Faso vs. Central African Republic match will be played tomorrow, Wednesday, at 2 p.m. (GMT) and 5 p.m. (local time) at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar Es Salaam. The CHAN KE-TZ-UG 2024 will be played from August 2 to 30.