Burkina Faso President Ibrahim Traoré has called on the nation’s Football Federation and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to clarify why his country lost out on a World Cup playoff spot to Nigeria.
The dispute followed Burkina Faso’s 3–1 win over Ethiopia, a result the team believed would secure their place in the playoffs. CAF, however, applied a rule discounting points earned against the lowest-ranked team in each group — a measure triggered by Eritrea’s withdrawal — which ultimately favoured Nigeria, who had only managed two draws against Zimbabwe, the bottom-ranked team in their group. The decision reportedly left Traoré frustrated and demanding answers.
Traoré has reportedly requested a detailed breakdown of the qualification process, especially given Burkina Faso’s strong finish to the campaign. The Stallions had been forced to play early qualifiers away from home while their Stade du 4 Août underwent renovations to meet CAF standards. After returning to their home ground, they secured key victories, only to later be informed that Nigeria had advanced instead.
