Argentina Welcome Burkina Faso With Seven-Goal Rout

Argentina produced a dominant 7-0 victory over Burkina Faso in a friendly, but the story behind the scoreline was almost as striking as the result itself.

Burkina Faso arrived in Argentina only 5 hours and 15 minutes before kick-off after travelling around 9,231 kilometres from Casablanca. The journey reportedly took 11 hours and 42 minutes, leaving the team with virtually no time to recover or properly prepare.

Their equipment was sent directly from the airport to the stadium, while the players briefly went to a hotel before heading to the match.

Once the game began, Argentina took complete control.

Lautaro Martinez, Gianluca Prestianni, Nico Paz, Julian Alvarez, substitute Franco Mastantuono and Giuliano Simeone all found the net, while Burkina Faso also conceded an own goal in the eighth minute.

Argentina Dominate From the Start

The first-half statistics showed just how one-sided the contest was.

Argentina registered 11 shots on Burkina Faso’s goal before the break, while the African side failed to record a single attempt and won no corners.

Argentina also enjoyed close to 80 percent possession.

Burkina Faso finally managed a shot after half-time, forcing Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez into action, but the overall pattern remained unchanged.

Burkina Faso Forced to Rely on Young Players

The circumstances surrounding Burkina Faso’s arrival played a major role in the mismatch.

Their original charter flight from Morocco was reportedly cancelled only hours before the match. The company responsible for arranging their travel was also said to have considered cancelling the agreement.

After an alternative flight was arranged at short notice, most of the senior national-team players reportedly refused to play, according to Burkina Faso outlet Burkina24.

Coach Amir Abdou was therefore forced to call up players from the under-23 squad. Only midfielder Cheick Babele Daoumbia was reportedly available from the senior national team.

As a result, the side that faced Argentina could not be considered either a full-strength Burkina Faso team or a pure under-23 side.

Argentina Ease Off After the Break

Argentina led 5-0 at half-time, effectively putting the contest beyond doubt.

The second half was considerably quieter, with Argentina adding only two more goals before completing a 7-0 victory.

The result was hardly surprising given Argentina’s quality, but the circumstances made the friendly an unusual one. Burkina Faso’s travel chaos and reliance on younger players left them facing one of the toughest possible challenges with almost no preparation time.