The Burkina Faso U17 team (Young Stallions) was defeated 4–1 in a penalty shootout by Côte d’Ivoire’s U17 team (Little Elephants) during the third-place match held on the evening of Friday, April 18, 2025. The score was 1–1 at the end of regulation time.
Yet it was the young Burkinabe who opened the scoring in the 29th minute through Halidou Diakité. The Ivorians equalized in the 86th minute thanks to their top scorer, Alynho Haïdara (a player at the training center founded by former Burkinabè international Aristide Bancé, based in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire), who had come off the bench just thirty minutes earlier.
With that crucial goal, Alynho Haïdara joins Burkina Faso’s Lookman Tapsoba at the top of the tournament’s scoring chart, both with 7 goals.
The Young Stallions finished the game with 10 men after their goalkeeper, Prince Ouédraogo, was sent off in the 90th minute.
The Ivorians take home the bronze medal, which Burkina Faso had won in 2023. The Burkinabè settle for fourth place but secure a spot in the upcoming U17 World Cup, which will be held in Qatar in November 2025.
As a reminder, the final of the 2025 U17 Africa Cup of Nations will be played this Saturday, April 19, at 14:00 GMT at the El Bachir Stadium in Mohammedia. It will feature Mali, who defeated Burkina Faso, against hosts Morocco, who knocked out Côte d’Ivoire.
