Friendlies: Burkina Faso without Dango Ouattara!

With upcoming friendly matches against Tunisia (June 2) and Zimbabwe (June 6) on the horizon, Burkina Faso head coach Brama Traoré has unveiled an extended 27-man squad this Friday, May 23. This gathering is part of the team's preparations for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

While regulars like Hervé Koffi, Edmond Tapsoba, Issa Kaboré, Bertrand Traoré, and Mohamed Konaté are all included, three major absences stand out in this squad: Blati Touré, Steeve Yago, and most notably, Dango Ouattara.

The Bournemouth winger, who enjoyed a fine season (7 goals, 4 assists), misses out due to a groin injury.

Five fresh faces for the Stallions

On the flip side, five new faces have been called up, four of whom play in the domestic league: Ladji Sanou, Memel Dao (AS SONABEL), Hassane Rachid Traoré (USFA), and Jack Pantalou Diarra (Salitas FC). They are joined by Ismaël Ganiou (FC Annecy) and Rachid Ayindé (Jong KAA Gent).

Guy Arsène Kouassi (Ajaccio) and Cyriaque Irié (Freiburg) also make their return to the fold. However, goalkeeper Alban Lafont remains uncapped, with his situation continuing to stir debate.

Below is the full list of called-up players:

Amine Jomni |

Editorfr

African football writer and sports journalist covering football news, stories and insights while sharing his expertise with fans across the continent.