Bertrand Traoré’s injury-time penalty secured a dramatic 1-0 victory for Burkina Faso in their Africa Cup of Nations opener against Mauritania on Tuesday afternoon.
The Villa forward stepped off the bench in the 73rd minute and took the captain’s armband as he looked to inspire his nation to victory.
Traoré proved a lively threat and came close to finding a breakthrough when his strike from inside the area was parried to safety.
And the second-half substitute had the decisive impact when he provided the crucial pass which led to a late foul in the penalty area, before duly converting the resulting spot-kick in the 96th minute.
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It ensured Burkina Faso claimed the spoils in their Group D clash, with Algeria next up on Saturday.
The Stallions, AFCON runners-up in 2013, reached the semi-finals of the competition in 2017 and 2021.
