Rampant Burkina Faso Thrash Zambia To Reach U17 Cup Of Nations Semis

Rampant Burkina Faso thrash Zambia to reach U17 Cup of Nations Semis

April 10, 2025
FSL News

Burkina Faso performed impressively on Thursday night, defeating Zambia 6-1 in the quarter-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.

This victory secured their spot in the semi-finals for the second year in a row. The match took place at the El Arbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca, and Burkina Faso clearly showed their strength, repeating their success from the 2023 tournament in Algeria.

The Young Stallions took control early in the game. Mohamed Fofana scored the first goal in the 11th minute after Zambia made a defensive mistake. Ten minutes later, Burkina Faso doubled their lead when Nkotami Chimwemwe fouled Issouf Diakité in the penalty box. Souleymane Tapsoba confidently scored the penalty, marking his fifth goal of the tournament.

Zambia managed to score once in the 35th minute, thanks to Abel Salim Nyirongo, who found the net after getting to a loose ball. However, they struggled to gain momentum. Nyirongo almost scored again just before halftime but was stopped by Burkinabè keeper Prince Hamed Ouédraogo in a key one-on-one play.

In the second half, Burkina Faso came back with more energy. Diakité made the score 3-1 in the 58th minute with a calm finish from a precise pass by Coulibaly, which was confirmed by VAR. A few minutes later, Diakité scored his second by weaving through the Zambian defense and finishing from a clever assist by Tapsoba.

Zambia ran into more trouble when Mwape fouled Bagayoko in the penalty area during the 78th minute. Tapsoba scored another penalty, extending the lead. He capped off a great game with a third goal in the 90th minute by taking advantage of a defensive mistake.

This strong win not only puts Burkina Faso in the semi-finals but also sends a strong message to the other teams. Diakité and Tapsoba have formed an important partnership, with Tapsoba leading the tournament with seven goals.

Burkina Faso had already qualified for the FIFA U-17 World Cup before this match. Now, they aim to reach their second U-17 AFCON final and win a second continental title, having won in 2011.