AFCON 2015: Burkina Faso held by host Equatorial Guinea

Published on: 21 January 2015
AFCON 2015: Burkina Faso held by host Equatorial Guinea
Bukina Faso-Equatorial Guinea

Both Equatorial Guinea and Burkina Faso failed to help their cause in the 2015 African Cup of Nations as they played to a goalless draw in a Group A match on Wednesday.

Neither side could find a winner in front of a packed Bata stadium which leaves them in a precarious position in Group A.

The host nation claimed their second point of the competition after drawing 1-1 with Congo in their opening tie.

Burkina Faso, on the other hand, claimed their first point of the continental tournament after losing 2-0 to Gabon in their opening encounter.

The match itself was scattered with numerous wasted chances in front of goal with Burkina Faso’s Alain Traore the main culprit throughout.

Alain Traore’s first effort on goal was a 24-yard free-kick in the 19th minute that stung the left-hand post before bouncing away from danger.

On the half hour mark Alain Traore set-up Aristide Bance when he lay off a 22-yard free-kick, but his thundering shot was palmed away from danger by the Equatorial Guinea keeper.

The host nation crated their best chance of the half in the 33rd minute when Armando Sipoto Bohale was slipped through on goal, but his shot from an acute angle on the left 14-yards out was well-saved by the keeper.

Alain Traore struck the post for the second time in the match when he met a deep cross from the right in the 40th minute with a left-footed volley, but his 16-yard attempt was pushed onto the woodwork by the keeper.

In the 55th minute Alain Traore met a similar cross from the right, but this time his volley from just inside the box went inches wide of the post.

Burkina Faso had the last say of the half when Alain Traore met a long ball into the box with a left-footed volley, but Felipe Ovono was on hand to push the effort onto the post in the 40th minute.

Burkina Faso continued in the same fashion after the break and Alain Traore came close again ten minutes after the restart, meeting another cross from the right with a stinging 14-yard volley which went inches wide of the post.

Again, the host nation did not pose much threat in attack in the second 45 and their best chances came on the counter-attack.

In the 57th minute Javier Balboa played Ellong Doualla Viera in behind the Burkina Faso defence, but his shot from 16-yards out went wide

15 minutes later another counter-attack by Equatorial Guinea saw Enrique Boula Senobua beat three defenders before firing wide from 18-yards out.

The last decent chance of the match fell to none other than Alain Traore who fired a 14-yard snap shot inches wide of the post.

The game ended 0-0.

Equatorial Guinea (0) 0 Burkina Faso (0) 0

Teams:

Equatorial Guinea: Felipe Ovono, Rui Fernando da Garcia Gomes, Armando Sipoto Bohale, Diosdado Mbele Mangue, Ivan Zarandona , Emilio Nsue, Javier Balboa (Raul Bosio 83’), Iban Iyanga, Ellong Doualla Viera, Enrique Boula Senobua (Ivan Bolado Palacios 81’), Ivan Salvador Edu (Juvenal Edjogo Owono 71’).

Burkina Faso: Germain Sanou, Issa Gouo, Bakary Kone , Mohamed Koffi, Steeve Yago, Bertrand Traore, Charles Kabore, Djakaridja Kone , Jonathan Pitroipa (Niguimbe Prejuce Nakoulma 78’), Alain Traore, Aristide Bance.

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