Premier League side Aston Villa have congratulated Bertrand Traore and Burkina Faso after qualifying for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations.
Despite playing a 0-0 draw against Uganda on Wednesday evening at St. Mary’s Stadium-Kitende, Entebbe, Kamou Malo’s men booked a place in Cameroon with a game to spare.
That will be the 13th time the West African country would reach the finals since their maiden appearance at Ghana 1978 – where they finished in eight position.
The Villa Park giants have taken to social media to celebrate their winger and his country on their recent success.
“Congratulations to Bertrand Traore and Burkina Faso, who qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations 2021 with a goalless draw against Uganda on Wednesday!” a tweet from the club read.
Burkina Faso – who currently lead Group B having garnered nine points from five games – will complete their qualification campaign when they welcome South Sudan to Ouagadougou’s Stade du 4 Aout on Monday in a dead-rubber affair.
Burkina Faso finished in third place at the Gabon 2017 edition, albeit, they failed to qualify for the 2019 edition staged in Egypt following their inability to negotiate their way past Botswana, Mauritania and Angola during the qualifiers.
Their best performances in the biennial African football showpiece remains a second placed finish in 2013 as the Jonathan Pitroipa-inspired side bowed 1-0 to Nigeria in the final at FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, with Sunday Mba’s 40th-minute beauty settling the encounter.
Traore, 25, who was part of the Lyon squad that reached the semi-finals of the Champions League joined the Claret and Blue Army in September 2020 for an undisclosed fee, thought to be worth in the region of £19million (€20.5m).
Three months later, he scored his first Premier League goal for Villa in their 3-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion on December 20, 2020.
After returning from international duties, he is expected to play a key role in Dean Smith’s men’s push for a place in Europe next term.
Currently, they occupy 10th position in the log after amassing 41 points from 28 fixtures played so far.
