Goal Programme - Fédération Burkinabé de Foot-Ball - 2002

Football is by far the most popular sport in Burkina Faso. And the national association can look back on recent developments with a great deal of pride. Reaching the semi-finals of the African Cup of Nations on home soil in 1998, qualifying for the FIFA World Youth Championship UAE 2003, and appearances at two final competitions of the CAF U-17 Cup, as well as third place at the FIFA U-17 World Championship Trinidad & Tobago 2001 are Burkina Faso's outstanding achievements at international level. The nation's most famous players include Kassoum Ouegraogo, nicknamed Zico, who had his most successful seasons with Espérance de Tunis before ending his career in Germany, Siaka Ouattara, who spent his entire career with Mulhouse in France, and Maoumouni Dagano, who plays for Belgian side Genk and was voted best African player in Belgium in 2001.

The project to build a technical centre, which was approved by the Goal Bureau on 4 March 2002, is currently underway. Funds from Goal and the FIFA Financial Assistance Programme are being used to finance the initiative on land that has been donated by the government. The Burkina Faso national teams should be the primary beneficiaries of the new facilities, which will soon make it possible to organise training camps and squad get-togethers before international events under optimal conditions. The education and development of coaches, referees and officials are among the other projects that are planned. Sports medics will also receive a boost, as the new building will not only provide an ideal location for courses, but will also serve as a place where medical supplies can be stored. The new centre will facilitate the ongoing and sustained development of football in Burkina Faso.