Burkina Faso U23 Squad Arrive Hours Late for Argentina Friendly, Lose 7-0
Burkina Faso’s emergency U23-heavy squad arrived in Buenos Aires only five hours before facing Argentina, then suffered a 7-0 defeat at the Monumental Stadium after being sent straight into the friendly with virtually no preparation.
Key takeaways
- A cancelled charter from Morocco triggered a major travel breakdown for Burkina Faso.
- Senior players declined to make the trip amid concerns over compensation and the physical demands of the journey.
- Coach Amir Abdou called up mainly U23 internationals at short notice to ensure the match went ahead.
- Argentina completed their second match of the international window with another clean-sheet win.
- Lionel Scaloni praised the visiting players for honouring the fixture despite the circumstances.
Emergency call-up ends in heavy defeat
Burkina Faso had been due to travel with a more established senior group, but the cancelled flight left the delegation facing an immediate crisis. With key players unwilling to travel under the conditions, including disputes linked to financial compensation, Abdou was forced to assemble a replacement party.
The stand-in group, largely drawn from the country’s U23 set-up, accepted the late call and completed a punishing long-haul trip to Argentina. There was no meaningful time for training, tactical work or recovery before kick-off, with jet lag adding to the challenge against the world champions.
The Football Federation of Burkina Faso said the young players viewed the assignment as an important chance to show themselves against elite opposition. Their commitment ensured the match was played, but Argentina’s attack overwhelmed the depleted visitors in a 7-0 result.
Burkina Faso’s exhausted players left the stadium immediately after full-time to rest, with no formal post-match media duties taking place.
Scaloni salutes Burkina Faso effort
Argentina boss Scaloni said his side treated the friendly with full seriousness because of the effort made by Burkina Faso’s replacement squad.
He thanked the players who travelled, saying he did not know every detail behind the absence of the original group but believed those who came deserved significant credit. Scaloni said they had respected the game by fulfilling the match, and Argentina responded by approaching it “as if it were a final”.
The result gave Argentina a second straight victory without conceding during the international break. For Burkina Faso, the immediate priority is off the pitch: the federation must address the travel failures and settle the financial issues involving senior players before the next international window.
