BURKINA Faso coach Paulo Duarte says he will quit if the country’s football federation does not change it ways. The Portuguese was speaking after the Stallions’ elimination from the Africa Cup of Nations after losing 2-0 to Ivory Coast last Thursday.
BURKINA Faso coach Paulo Duarte says he will quit if the country’s football federation does not change it ways.
The Portuguese was speaking after the Stallions’ elimination from the Africa Cup of Nations after losing 2-0 to Ivory Coast last Thursday.
Burkina Faso have lost both their games at the tournament and can no longer advance to the last eight.
"If the federation don’t change, I go,” he told BBC Sport.
Duarte is unhappy with the way the federation has handled issues of nationality for his squad.
Cameroon-born Herve Zengue was one of several players to miss the finals, despite the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejecting a Namibian claim that he was ineligible to play for the Stallions.
Ivory Coast-born Stephane Agbre was also omitted from the squad, despite making Duarte’s provisional Nations Cup list, because of concerns over his eligibility.
More pressingly, Nations Cup squad member Abdou Razak Traore has been unable to play because of further administrative issues surrounding his nationality registration.
"I don’t know [whether I will carry on as coach],” explained Duarte, whose side impressed in defeat to Ivory Coast.
"I started this Nations Cup without starters because I had problems with passports and other things.
"In professional football, this is not possible.
Burkina Faso play their final group game in Bata tonight against Sudan, who need a win to have any chance of making it to the last eight of the Nations Cup.
Agencies