AFCON 2023: Late Bertrand Traore penalty wins Group D clash | Deon Hotto heads Namibia to shock Tunisia win | Mali beat South Africa
Round-up as Burkina Faso beat Mauritania in the Africa Cup of Nations; Aston Villa striker Bertrand Traore was the match winner with a late penalty to decide the Group D game; Tunisia fell to a shock 1-0 defeat against Namibia; Mali beat South Africa 2-0
By PA Sport
Tuesday 16 January 2024 22:28, UK
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Bertrand Traore scored a late penalty as Burkina Faso snatched a 1-0 victory over Mauritania in their Africa Cup of Nations opener.
Aston Villa's Traore, a former Chelsea forward who is currently on loan at Istanbul Basaksehir, netted in added time to decide the Group D game in Bouake.
Mauritania, making their third appearance at the tournament, were denied on two occasions in the first half as Burkina Faso goalkeeper Herve Koffi kept out efforts from striker Aboubakary Koita.
Mauritania have only scored one goal in the history of the tournament and their goalless run since 2019 continued when Koffi denied Sidi Amar in the second period, before Traore settled the contest late on.
The game's first chance fell to Koita, who drilled straight into the grasp of Koffi six minutes in.
Burkina Faso produced their first strike on target 10 minutes later when Mohamed Konate rose highest from a free-kick but saw his header comfortably saved by Babacar Niasse.
Mauritania were looking for their first ever win in the competition and came close to the opener half an hour in when Koffi was wrong-footed by a Koita free-kick but recovered to tip the ball over the bar for a corner.
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Mauritania, ranked 48 places below their opponents in the FIFA rankings, threatened again through Hemeya Tanjy but his effort from outside the
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