Could a friendly turn into a youth showcase just hours before kick‑off? Argentina’s match against Burkina Faso has suddenly shifted, with the Albiceleste set to meet the West African nation’s U‑23 side instead of the senior squad.
Burkina Faso source Romain Molina confirmed the twist, noting earlier reports that several first‑team players intended to skip the Buenos Aires trip in protest.
Molina later disclosed that only a single senior player actually boarded the charter, while the rest stayed in Africa after another flight delay proved the final straw.
According to Molina, the federation summoned the U‑23 team—whose game versus Mali was cancelled—to avoid a total walk‑over. He posted on X: “The Casablanca flight left late, arriving around 15:30 local time for a 21:00 kickoff. Shameful from start to finish.”
The swap leaves Argentina facing a far wider gap, as Burkina Faso’s key stars—Edmond Tapsoba, Arsène Kouassi, Nasser Djiga and Lassina Traoré—are absent, turning what should have been a senior showcase into a lopsided affair. In my view, the Albiceleste now risk a morale dip.
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Argentina’s friendly reshapes as the Albiceleste prepares to face Burkina Faso’s U‑23 side.
Eurodata Sport, the firm handling Burkina Faso’s travel, issued a statement from founder Jairo Pachón. It stressed that the only real problem was the original flight’s cancellation due to a technical fault, absolving both federations of blame.
The company also backed Molina’s claim that several senior players refused to travel. “Burkina Faso FA and government officials met with the dissenters, urging them to honour their commitment to the AFA. Yet the players who objected stood firm,” the release read. Will the Albiceleste adjust tactics for a youthful opponent?