The-Shot.Net Writers Club - Burkina Faso

Jan 26 1800 GMT Senegal - Burkina Faso 0:0 (final score)

Before the match:
Senegal are clear favorites in this group, while Burkina Faso still yet feature a team of the future. But games have not been easy for favorites so far, and this might be no exception. Burkina Faso with a lot of tournament experience after 3 successive Nations Cup and a handful of African and FIFA youth tournaments.
With Mali having taken all 3 points from their opening match against Kenya, a slip by Senegal tonight would definitively make this group a thriller.
Every thing else in the groups preview (new window)

1st half:
-Senegal in all white, BFA in all green
-The first seconds look as if the attacking fireworks of Tunisia 2004 will continue tonight
-('7) Senegal: First menace to the Burkinabé goal, when a long ball finds Niang who has escaped his defender, but he can't controll the ball
-('9) Senegal: it looks like an embarassing diving attempt by Niang
-('10) Senegal: Niang with an impressive shot from 18 meters, no chance for the keeper but wide by centimeters
-Senegal look sharp
-several times offside against Burkina Faso already
-('13) first solorun by El Hadj Diouf, but the third defender is too much
-('15) Senegal with a header after a corner, not very dangerous
-('16) Burkina Faso: Cissé is sent through on the right hand side, has room, but fires immediately, hits only 80% ball and 20% gras and it becomes a weak roller only what could have been a very dangerous attempt
-Burkina Faso after some good early seconds rather disappointing: they seek Dagano immediately with long balls, which he does not get yet, so Senegal are in possession of the ball all the time.
-('22) Senegal: this could have been a goal: Niang unchallanged unleashes a header from a perfect cross but tries to time it too accurately and it goes wide
-('25) Senegal: free kick opportunity, wasted, weak shot by Diao
-('26) Senegal: long range attempt by Aliou Cissé, but high into the air, no danger at all
-('28) Burkina Faso: almost score by an accident: a free kick, though as a sharp shot, becomes a cross for #6 who can't really control the header and it goes across the bar
-('30) Senegal: a Burkinabé defender rescues by a spectacular tackling
-it is a match of relatively many spectacular tacklings and tough challenges
-Senegal have lost some of the sharpness, they try to vary the tempo, pass around a bit. One unchallenged but harmless attempt on both sides after corners
-('38) Senegal: This time it is Henri Camara who is set up by Diouf who should have scored, but as he tries to score exactly into the corner his attempt flies wide
-('40) Senegal: again a good opportunity as the Burkinabé defence looks bad again after a corner because this time a defender misjudges a cross. But Niang shot from the left hand side is blocked by the keeper
-('45 2) Burkina Faso: Inaccurate passing spoils what would have been a brilliant counter situation. Senegal sometimes seem to sleep when the burkinabé suddenly shifts midfielders into attack. Only that the Burkinabé almost never do...

halftime 0:0
Senegal should have scored at least once from their three big opportuities. Burkina Faso had been more spectacular at the last editions 2000 and 2002, but with more errors, too. The match started with good tempo, but took its breaks in the second part of the first half. Then it rather resembled the football seen 10 years ago.

2nd half:
-('50) Senegal: good situation, opened defence, but mistimed final pass
-('52) Senegal: a late challenge by Aliou Cissé but aparantly no yellow card
-an entirely different style of refereeing: in the matches before players would have seen yellow if they only had coughed
-('53) Senegalese attacking waves on the Burkinabé goal but it is Diouf who is in the way and offside when Camera hits him with his shot that probably would have scored
-('54) Senegal: Camera, set up by Niang, with another chance but wide, a challenge by BFA #5 Traoré has prevented him from precise shooting
-huge pressure now by Senegal, it seems only a matter of time until they break the deadlock
-('59) Burkina Faso: Senegal sleep in defence and Cissé starting from midfield runs all alone towards the Senegalese keeper Sylva. but he is too slow and while he concentrates on finishing, Diao has made a desperate race and steals the ball with his toe. This has been a huge opportunity.
-('62) A Burkinabé defender has to clear on the line with the keeper out of the game after a clumsy attempt to reach a cross and the ball had been deflected towards the goal by Niang from impossible angle.
-some less good minutes by Senegal have followed
-('68) Senegalese keeper Sylva clears in style: 10 meters outside the penalty area he stops the ball with his head, moves out the attacker and passes on
-('70) Senegalese Aliou Cissé with another rough challenge and he eventually sees the long deserved yellow card
-('74) a couple of Burkinabé crosses get defended.
-a match of fewer goal scenes at the moment
-('77) Burkina Faso almost score when #11 is a step too late. A quickly taken free kick from midfield had been headed on into the penalty area to take the Senegalese by surprise
-('78) Sylva intercepts a low cross
-Burkina Faso have some better minutes now
-the match now is marred by inaccurate passes, uncreative attacking, real and imagined offsides
-('87) tough challenge in the air by Diao, looking dangerous for his opponent as he rams his hips against the head of Burkinabé #6, again no yellow card
-Senegalese attacking attempts are disappointing now. Burkina Faso do not do any better.
-('90) 4 minutes injury time
-Burkina Faso look fit to keep concentration level high and defenders in superior number
-('90 2) Burkina Faso have a chance by #11 who storms into the penalty area, gets holded but does not fall, his eventual shot gets deflected.
-('90 3) Senegal: it should been a clear free kick for Senegal 17 meters to the goal, but the referee does not have a good night as well. He does not see a clear handball in midfield a minute later, too.

final score 0:0
A mystery why Senegal after quite good but scoreless 60 minutes suddenly lost the receipe how to get the ball even only near the Burkinabé goal.
So far the least attractive game, but rewarded with a point for each team.