Burkina Faso: EFO v ASFA Yennenga, why the "Fasico" is losing its edge

For decades, the clash between Etoile Filante de Ouagadougou (EFO) and Association sportive Faso Yennenga (ASFA Y) has been regarded as the biggest fixture of the Burkinabe football league season. The derby fires up crowds in Ouagadougou and goes well beyond sport. While ASFA Yennenga and EFO battle every season to be the best team in the capital, the derby also has a cultural and social dimension that makes it an unmissable occasion. For supporters, it is not only about backing their team, but also about asserting an identity and a sense of belonging.

Two teams in search of renewal

Recent meetings between the two sides reflect that search for renewal. This historic duel between two emblematic clubs of Burkinabe football goes beyond a simple league match. It is a contest of prestige, a matter of pride and, above all, a battle between ASFA and EFO, who are both seeking renewal.

With turnouts falling, some supporters have tried over the last two seasons to restore the Burkinabe derby to its former glory. To do so, they decided to rally support around every EFO v ASFA Yennenga or ASFA v EFO fixture. In both camps, supporters mobilise and trade banter. On social media, Burkinabe internet users have, through video posts, urged fans to go to the stadium. "This is not just a match. This is not an ordinary commitment, this is not a normal mobilisation. This is the legendary derby of Fasofoot," posted Herman Belem, without saying which of the two rival clubs in the Burkinabe capital he supports.

The "Fasico" was born in blood, in a clash between the two teams in 1960 in which Étienne Compaoré sadly lost his life. Since then, the two sides have been sporting enemies. Despite the constant appeals, the crowds are slow to come. According to some local football experts, this is down to several factors, including a lack of commitment from the players.

"We have to admit that the players no longer have the grit the old guard had in the EFO v ASFA derbies. I am often surprised that there is no longer that fire among the players. I tell myself that for them, it's not a problem. Today, this derby is just a name," laments Kabré, an ASFA Yennenga supporter.

Djibril Diallo, a former international footballer who played for both clubs, wonders whether today's players truly know the value of this derby. "Ask those who play for Etoile Filante de Ouagadougou now if they know EFO's motto. Put the question to the players first and see. In our day, as soon as there was a derby that week, between Monday and Wednesday, we knew whether we were going to win the match or not from the movement of the officials and the gathering of the supporters. The supporters guarded the EFO pitch. Some supporters even slept there until the early morning to stop ASFA Yennenga supporters coming to do things to the pitch. When you, as a player, arrive at the ground and see it already full, even for training, you feel victory is coming. But today that is not the case. It is not enough to come, collect the money and leave. If you don't love the club, it is very, very hard to sacrifice yourself for the team. You have to have love, love the colours and the club, but nowadays it is the opposite. For most players it is money or nothing. For a small sum, the lads say no, I can't do it. At this point, do they have the will to win or love for the club? The officials must instil that in the players' minds."

To remedy this, Emilien Yameogo proposes that EFO and ASFA start by developing players themselves: "EFO and ASFA Yennenga have no reserve sides. They have no feeder team for Fasofoot Ligue 1. They just come to sign contracts. So you can't expect that will to win. You have to start working on youth development. If you develop players yourselves, you have the chance to instil that education, that desire to play, in the players."

Although EFO v ASFA Yennenga remains an eagerly awaited fixture in Burkinabe sport, it has lost its old appeal, like other classics in the sub-region such as Asec Mimosas v Africa Sport in Côte d'Ivoire, Djoliba AC v Real de Bamako in Mali, Agaza FC v Étoile Filante de Lomé in Togo or Dragons FC v Requins FC in Benin, and even Asante Kotoko v Accra Hearts of Oak in Ghana.