While the French national team finished top of its group at the U17 World Cup and is preparing to play its 8th final match against Senegal this Wednesday, the Bleuets' coaching staff is shaken by an administrative affair that could cost them dearly. Present in the same group and eliminated from the tournament after finishing 3rd, Burkina Faso are considering lodging an appeal against France. The reason? The presence of Yanis Issoufou in the squad. The Montpellier striker took part in the entire group phase, playing in all three matches, two of them as a starter. Nothing unusual so far, except for one detail:Yanis Issoufou had played for Niger's U17 national team a few months earlier.
The Nîmes native took part in the UFOA B tournament with Mena, qualifying for the AFCON U17, itself qualifying for the U17 World Cup. This is strictly forbidden by FIFA regulations. As a result, France faces possible disqualification. According to Sport News Africa, FIFA was not notified of his change of sporting nationality, and some members of the French coaching staff were unaware of his past with Niger. It now remains to be seen whether Burkina Faso will lodge an appeal to be considered for the next round of the tournament. Senegal, Les Bleuets' future opponents, could also do the same if Yanis Issoufou were to play in the Round of 8.
Issoufou played for Niger against Côte d'Ivoire and Benin at the UFOA B U17 tournament in Ghana in 2022.
He scored a goal in the loss to the Ivorians, before being voted man of the match against Benin (3-1 victory).
