OUAGADOUGOU (Burkina Faso) – Thrilled crowds celebrated in Burkina Faso’s capital after their national team defeated Tunisia in a regional football cup, providing welcome respite.
Supporters in Ouagadougou pounded their car horns and blew into vuvuzuelas after the Burkinabe Stallions beat the North African side 1-0 in a quarter-final at the African Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
“After everything we’ve been through, football is allowing us to get back a little love of life,” said Arsene Kabore, who wore the national team’s vest inscribed with his name.
A public screening of the match, the crowd was able to briefly forget their concerns and instead cheer on player Dango Ouattara as he scored the game’s single goal on the stroke of half-time.
Agronomist Zakaria Bouda said the football win was a joyous distraction after a tense week.
The victory came after a military junta seized power from former president Roch Marc Christian Kabore on Monday after weeks of unrest in the West African country.
“It’s a victory for Burkina (Faso) that will allow some reconciliation,” he said.
Ouagadougou residents are supposed to return home by midnight under a nighttime curfew installed by the country’s new rulers.
But doctor Freddy Sawadogo said he did not care.
“Tonight there’s no curfew,” he said according to AFP. “Even the soldiers are celebrating.”
Dango Aboubacar Ouattara’s goal on the stroke of halftime was enough for Burkina Faso to beat Tunisia 1-0 and progress to the semi-finals of the AFCON in Cameroon 2021.
Dango Ouattara who was sent off in the closing stages scored on the stroke of halftime to give Kamou Malo’s side the victory against the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia.
The Stallions who were without their talisman and captain Bertrand Traore started brightly at the Omnisports Roumde stadium in Garoua.
The Burkinabe controlled possession in the opening exchanges with Steeve Yago and Ibrahim Toure pulling the strings in midfield.
Cyrille Bayala had the first opening of the closely contested match when he found space on the left to shoot straight at Bechir Said in the Tunisian goal midway through the first half.
The Carthage Eagles were denied by Koffi on 26 minutes when he dived to his left to save Wahbi Khazri’s fierce free kick.
The two sides continue to cancel each other in midfield while they try to break on the counter.
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