Burkina Faso and Mali failed to reach the final of this 15th edition of the CAN U17, but they will have the opportunity to play one last time on Thursday in the match for third place. We share with you our analysis around this meeting that is anything but anecdotal.
The battle for third place in a sports tournament may seem insignificant to some, but it actually holds great significance and honors the efforts of the participating teams. Even if it is often frowned upon in football, it allows players to win a bronze medal and raise their country to 3rd place in a tournament, here continental. Which is nothing! African football enthusiasts will have the opportunity to see one last time at work the young players of the Burkina Faso and maliwho had a solid run and came within a hair’s breadth of the final, only losing in the penalty shootout in the semi-finals.
Mali are the only team yet to concede any goal in the competition 🛡️
Will they keep a sixth clean sheet in the 2023 #TotalEnergiesAFCONU17 on Thursday? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/DLRVOg1t3v
— #TotalEnergiesAFCONU17 2023 🏆 (@CAF_Online) May 17, 2023
Burkina Faso-Mali
This poster takes us directly to May 1, when the two teams have already faced each other in the tournament. The Malians had won by the smallest of margins (1-0) thanks to an achievement by Mamadou Doumbia in the 25th minute of play. We therefore find them for this small final, not necessarily the one they were hoping for but history is thus made. Be that as it may, there is no doubt that the troops of Brahima Traoré (Burkina Faso) like those of Soumaila Coulibaly (Mali) will put their heart into their work to end their tournament in style. It will also be a consolation, admittedly quite meager, compared to the disappointment of the semi-finals. The Burkinabè were narrowly defeated by Senegal (1-1, 5 pens to 4), as were the Malian troops (0-0, 6 pens to 5), who still have to go through their throats the penalty not whistled at the end of the game…
The young Stallions will not equal their ancestors who won the 2011 edition, nor even the successive generations of finalists (1999 and 2001), but they can do as well as in 2009, an edition which was already taking place in Algeria. The U17 players of the time had beaten the Malawi (0-2) for the game counting for third place. In the Malian ranks, we have an even richer record with two victories in 2015 and 2017, a final (1997) and two third places, in 1999 then in 2001. There is no doubt that the Aiglonnets will want to add a third bronze medal on the list…
Thursday’s program at CAN U17
- 8 p.m., Burkina Faso-Mali (match for third place), 19-Mai-1956 stadium, Annaba.
Match shown in local time; for France, add 1 hour.
