CAN: Burkina Faso’s record, edition by edition

Burkina Faso has gradually carved out a unique place in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations, navigating long years of learning before achieving genuine continental feats. Making their debut on the African stage in 1978—then known as Upper Volta—the Stallions struggled for years to move past the group stage before raising their game in the late 1990s.

Read also: CAN: Cameroon’s record, edition by edition

The turning point came on home soil in 1998 with a foundational fourth-place finish, followed by a steady rise in subsequent tournaments. Their finest hour remains 2013, when they reached a historic final—ultimately falling to Nigeria—which cemented Burkina Faso’s status among the continent’s footballing elite. More recently, podium finishes in 2017 and a solid fourth place in 2021 have confirmed their newfound consistency.

Here’s a summary of Burkina Faso’s Africa Cup of Nations campaigns:

• 1978 (Ghana): group stage
• 1996 (South Africa): group stage
• 1998 (Burkina Faso): 4th place
• 2000 (Ghana/Nigeria): group stage
• 2002 (Mali): group stage
• 2004 (Tunisia): group stage
• 2010 (Angola): group stage
• 2012 (Gabon/Equatorial Guinea): group stage
• 2013 (South Africa): runners-up
• 2015 (Equatorial Guinea): group stage
• 2017 (Gabon): 3rd place
• 2021 (Cameroon): 4th place
• 2023 (Ivory Coast): round of 16
• 2025 (Morocco): qualified

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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