Coach of the Burkina Faso national team Kamou Malo has said his side will take on Cameroon in their Nations Cup third-place match on Saturday with ‘a lot of motivation.’
Burkina Faso made a good run to the semifinals but were stopped by Senegal, who won 3-1. Malo, a former police officer, however insists that his side will keep the same commitment they have shown all through the tournament against the Indomitable Lions, who were beaten by Egypt 3-1 on penalties in the other semis.
“We intend to approach this game with a lot of motivation certainly because we keep this semi-final elimination down our throat, so if we have the opportunity to win this third place, it will do us good,” Malo told media as quoted by Burkina Faso FA.
“We will play our chances with commitment and especially with a lot of envy against an opponent that we respect who plays at home but we don’t fear.”
Burkina Faso captain Bertrand Traore revealed they have already put aside their semi-final defeat and their focus is to win the bronze medal.
“I think we’ve made an honourable journey even if we wanted to play this final,” said Traore, who also plays for Premier League side Aston Villa. “We tried everything unfortunately we fell in the semi-finals.
“There’s a disappointment but we’ve been mobilised because we’re professionals. Now we have the chance to finish on the podium for a bronze medal.
“We will put everything in our hands; we will do everything to get that third place. This will do good to the whole group, to the staff, to the Burkinabe people who are going through a difficult time, and to our families.”
Burkina Faso and Cameroon will square off on Saturday at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaounde.