2026 World Cup (Q): what to take from Burkina Faso's two outings

After their win over Djibouti on Friday 21 March, Burkina Faso's national football team confirmed their good current form by beating Guinea Bissau 2-1 on Monday 24 March. With two wins, the Stallions come out of this March's two matchdays with a job well done.

Challenges met with flair

Off to a good start in the race to qualify for the 2026 World Cup with two wins from as many games, Burkina Faso got back on track after a difficult start. With a clear pecking order already in place, a captain in Bertrand Traoré who is thriving, and young players such as Dango Ouattara, Lassina Traoré, Josué Tiendrebeogo, Mohamed Zougrana, Nasser Djiga and Adamo Nagalo making their mark, Burkina Faso knew how to press from the first whistle, each time finding the opening goal first, which delighted the country's football fans. Dominant in the first half against Djibouti, the Stallions nonetheless eased off for a good quarter of an hour afterwards, allowing the Red Sea Sharks to pull it back to 4-1.

Read also: 2026 World Cup (Q): the tops and flops of the March international break

But against Guinea Bissau, it was after the break that they really stepped on the gas. Nasser Djiga, not quite at his best in the first match, made up for it. Already on the scoresheet against Djibouti, Lassina Traoré bagged a brace. The other big winner of the break is Dango Ouattara. At 23, the Bournemouth winger in the English Premier League is full of confidence, with two assists to his name against Guinea Bissau.

Then, in the final half hour, Bertrand Traoré also made his mark, first changing the course of the game by coming on and then with a nicely struck left-footed free kick, delivered onto the head of Adamo Nagano and finding Lassina Traoré, who scored (brace, 2-1). A second win that confirms Brama Traoré's players have well and truly turned the page on the difficult first four matchdays and are now looking ahead to qualification.

A few questions remain

Ahead of matchdays 7 and 8 of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Brama Traoré nonetheless has a few areas to think about. The first is midfield, which is the team's biggest project. So far, Burkina Faso's Stallions do not have a midfield capable of taking on the big nations. The other doubt concerns the defence, where there are things to maintain.

The Stallions' next outing in these qualifiers is scheduled for September 2025. Burkina Faso now have 11 points after these two matches. They are 2nd in Group A, behind Egypt, who have 16 points.