The-Shot.Net Writers Club - Burkina Faso

Jan 30 1800 GMT Burkina Faso - Mali 1:3 (final score)

Before the match
- Burkina Faso can neither qualify for the quarter finals nor become eliminated today.
- Mali cannot be eliminated from the competition before the final group match, but can make quarter final qualification already perfect by winning today

1st half
- Burkina Faso in all green, Mali in all white
-('4) Mali with some attractive attacking game, eventually #8Touré blasts his attempt high across the bar
-('11) Burkina Faso with a first half dangerous attempt
-in these early stages it looks like the Senegal - Burkina Faso match: the Burkinabé resilient, defending on all areas of the field, concentrating on making football hard for the Malians
-('15) Mali defenders have to take care of keeping concentration. The Burkinabé rarely attack with more players but if they do they are smart in catching the Malians by surprise
- defenders (and defensive midfielders) have the match under control, no goal scenes
- the match is played very concentrated but it is not very entertaining
-('24) Mali: a solorun by Bassala Touré is the first attacking highlight of the match. The midfielder fires from 18 meters but it is saved for a corner by the keeper
-the Burkinabé play their hard tackling football, already seen in the first match
-('29) huge mistake in the Burkinabé defence, Kanouté almost intercepts a bad back pass. Burkina Faso have to thank the alertness of their keeper who rushes out and beats Kanoute in the race for the ball
-('32) Mali: neat attack, Kanoute takes a low cross directly. But with only very little room given by his defender he blasts it into the air.
-(34) Mali: Diarra with a fine through ball on Kanoute and he perfectly sinks the ball into the far corner - 0:1 Mali
-('37) Mali corner: Diarra wins a header in a crowd of players - 0:2
-he apparently has run a designed pattern
-('38) Mali immediately attack again
-('39) Burkina Faso find the Senegelese unconcentrated and a shot from 18 meters make the keeper look bad as he seizes it but then drops it for a corner
-is it the comfortable lead? the Malian defence dows not convincingly dominate
-('44) not much left of the early domination of defences: Mali are dangerous again although the penalty area is crowded with defenders

halftime 0:2
Mali have something not all African teams have: a striker who makes goals from few chances and so breaks up tight matches. From the goal on it seemed easy for Mali who are obviously further in their development.

2nd half
-('47) BFA: a free kick cross from the left finds a Burkinabé attacker (#14?) unchallenged but he blasts his header across the bar - could have been more
-('48) BFA: the next attack sees a distance effort saved for a corner by the unsure looking Malian keeper
-('50) Mali beg for the goal and Burkina Faso scores: #12 Madi breaks through on the right wing and has three attackers unmarked in front of the goal. He opts for substitute #14 who puts the low cross into the goal. - 1:2
- will Mali throw away their early qualification like Guinea two days ago?
-('57) Mali beg for the next goal: defender Adama Coulibaly makes a pass parallel to his goal which also puts the keeper out of play. The Burkinabé player, gifted with the ball, tries to shoot it directly into the wide open goal but does not hit it properly. It rolls off target into the keeper's hands.
-('61) Mali: #14 David Coulibaly in for Sissoko
-Mali haved lost shape completely. This happens when you do not take a game, or a halftime seriously. It is difficult to get back into the game. Burkina Faso in consequence with gained confidence.
-('63) BFA: dangerous corner
-('66) a first promising attack by Mali since a long time ago
-('67) BFA: a cross flies into the Malian penalty area. One defender is alone against two strikers. The cross finds Dagano who makes a dangerous header which flies wide by half a meter
-('69) the Malian defence seems to have a lot problems in marking the substitute #14 Minoungou who is again unmarked at a corner
-('70) Mali with a similar chance: a #10 Coulibaly cross on Kanoute but his header is off target
-('73) BFA: Minoungou breaks through on the left, a cross right on Dagano whose header from close range again misses the goal by a half meter - Mali are very lucky now
-('76) BFA: Minoungou's shot is deflected in the last moment by Adama Coulibaly
-('77) the Malian keeper parries well Dagano's attempt at the following corner
-('78) Mali: Kanoute sets up #10 Soumaila Coulibaly, who breaks through and puts his shot past the keeper - 1:3
-('82) Mali #17 steals the ball from Dagano at the right moment - the Burkinabé striker had had free way to the goal
-('83) the Burkinabé do not give up - they attack relentlessly
-they seem to know their chances are only of theoretical nature if they lose
-('85)('86) Mali almost play out the Burkinabé defence but the final pass by Kanoute is a little off target. A minute later a 50 meter attempt on the deserted Burkinabé goal - wide
-Mali dominate now again, the momentum has changed entirely
-('89) Mali: great solorun by Soumaila Coulibaly who eventually gets stiopped by the keeper
-Mali seem in a good physical shape - at least Soumaila Coulibaly
-('90 2)('90 4) Burkina Faso do not look tired either: a couple of last desperate attacks and Mali need all their defensive strength to deny them a clear cut pportunity
-('90 4) Mali counter and hit the crossbar.
-this would have been too much punishment for the Burkinabé

final score 1:3
Mali are qualified for the quarter finals. Burkina Faso need Mali to beat Senegal and themselves to beat Kenya by a high margin.
Mali have impressed as a quite mature team with an effective striker in the first half. But in the second half they foolishly invited the Burkinabé back into the match, and would have lost the points, had the Burkinabé only had featured a similar effective player as Mali have in Kanoute.