AFCON Player of the Day: Bertrand Traore

Sport360 staff 11:00 23/01/2017
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  • Burkina Faso advanced to the quarter-finals of the African Nations Cup as Group A winners following a 2-0 win over Guinea Bissau, who are eliminated from the tournament.

    The 2013 runners-up were guaranteed a place in the knockout phase if they came away from the Stade de Franceville with a victory, which they secured thanks to an own goal from Rudinilson and a Bertrand Traore strike.

    Traore should have opened the scoring for the Stallions in the eighth minute when he raced through with only goalkeeper Jonas Mendes to beat but the Chelsea forward, on loan at Ajax, curled his left-footed effort just wide of the far post.

    But they only had to wait four more minutes for their side to break the deadlock as Traore’s chipped through ball was not dealt with properly by the Guinea Bissau defence and centre-back Rudinilson could only head past the on-rushing Mendes and into his own net.

    Burkina Faso punished Guinea Bissau’s inability to find the target with a quick counter which resulted in Traore finding the bottom left corner with a composed finish to double his side’s advantage just before the hour mark.

    Traore nearly added a third for the Stallions but his effort drifted just wide and Silva blazed over late on as the Stallions took the three points to remain unbeaten in the competition.

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