Uganda Cranes has comfortable lead over her opponents in Group D of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers but when Burkina Faso head coach Paulo Duarte named a 25-man star studded squad for their double header set Cranes fans into a panic.
While keeping his faith in a core group of trusted players, including Daouda Diakité, Bakary Koné, Charles Kaboré, Jonathan Pitroipa, Aristide Bancé, Préjuce Nakoulma and the Traoré brothers, Duarte also handed a few maiden call-ups.
Newcomers are locally-based trio Yacouba Mando, Cyrille Kpan and Yacouba Coulibaly, as well as Guimaraes midfielder Bakary Saré and Daklyeh midfielder Cyrille Bayala.
The former CS Sfaxien Manager decided to welcome back ASEC Mimosas goalkeeper Koffi Kouakou, defenders Issa Gouo and Patrick Malo, and forwards Banou Diawara and Jonathan Zongo, but left out Mohamed Koffi, Paul Koulibaly and Djakaridja Koné.
Defeated 1-0 in Botswana after securing a 2-0 home win over Comoros, the Stallions are lying third in their group on 3 points.
They will host the Cranes in Ouagadougou on March 26, before travelling to Kampala three days later. Milutin Sredojevic whose local based Uganda Cranes are in the West Nile region in an exhibition game and will name his AFCON squad on Wednesdays, ten days before the do-or-die encounters.
BURKINA FASO
Goalkeepers: Abdoulaye Soulama (Hearts of Oak/Ghana), Daouda Diakité (Free State Stars/South Africa), Koffi Kouakou (Asec Mimosas/Côte d’Ivoire)
Defenders: Bakary Koné (Lyon/France), Steeve Yago (Toulouse/France), Yacouba Coulibaly (RC Bobo-Dioulasso/Burkina Faso), Issa Gouo (AshantiGold/Ghana), Issouf Dayo (RS Berkan/Morocco), Patrick Malo (JS Kabylie/Algeria)
Midfielders: Abdoul Aziz Kaboré (Valenciennes/France), Bakary Saré (Guimarães/Portugal), Abdoul Razak Traoré (Konyaspor/Turkey), Alain Traoré (Lorient/France), Charles Kaboré (FC Krasnodar/Russia), Jonathan Zongo (Almeria/Spain), Yacouba Mando (KOZAF/Burkina Faso), Adama Guira (Sonderjyske/Denmark), Cyrille Bayala (Daklyeh/Egypt), Cyrille Kpan (USFA/Burkina Faso), Bertrand Traoré (Chelsea/England)
Forwards: Préjuce Nakoulma (Mersin Idmanyurdu Sport Klubu/Turkey), Jonathan Pitroipa (AL Nasr/UAE), Banou Diawara (JS Kabylie/Algeria), Aristide Bancé (Chippa United/South Africa), Bakary Koné (Dibba Al Fujayira/UAE)
