We want to give our people bit of happiness, admits Kamou Malo

Despite a history of beating bigger sides in semi-finals, having beaten Nigeria in the past, few have given Burkina Faso a chance to beat Senegal in the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations. But the Stallions have had a decent outing so far although they lost to Cameroon in the opening game of the campaign. However, an unbeaten run since then, including wins over Gabon and Tunisia in the knockout stages, has earned the Stallions a deserved semi-finals place.

But with the odds against them, especially after the Teranga Lions’ dominating win over Equatorial Guinea, few expect Burkina Faso to go through. But Kamou Malo has revealed that he has a team that is determined to win and they will play with the same identity that got them this far. The Burkina Faso head coach also added that they are dedicating their victories to their people and want to win the trophy for them as well.

“We have dedicated our qualification to our people who are going through difficult times with terrorism. As long as there is life, there is hope. We want to give our people a bit of happiness. As long as we can, we will offer the trophy to our people,” Malo said, reported Goal.

“I have a band that lives well and is determined for this game. We are not going to change our identity against Senegal which is a great football team. We will keep our identity against Senegal.”

The 59-year-old also added that he has already achieved the goal he set out for himself but now his aim is to lift the trophy next Sunday. 

“Personally, I achieved my goal, but as a competitor, I aim to win the trophy next Sunday. We are determined to go all the way to win the title. Against Senegal, a great footballing country, we have to be ourselves. The main thing is to play our usual game,” he added.