DANGO Ouattara’s Burkina Faso started their Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a narrow 1-0 win over minnows Mauritania, although the Cherries winger played no part.

Fellow Premier League talent Bertrand Traore kept his cool from the penalty spot in the 96th minute to get the Stallions off to a perfect start in Group D.

Despite picking up an ankle injury in Cherries’ 3-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur at the end of December, Ouattara has travelled to the Ivory Coast with hopes of recovering to feature later on in the tournament.

Victory for Burkina Faso places them atop of the embryonic Group D table, with Angola and Algeria playing out a 1-1 draw in the other pool fixture.

Bukina Faso now face group favourites Algeria on Saturday, January 20, before facing Angola on Tuesday, January 23.

The Stallions’ chances of qualifying for the knockout stages are now very strong, with the four best third-placed sides from the six groups advancing alongside the top two of each pool.

Thanks in part to Ouattara’s heroics, Burkina Faso reached the semi-finals of the last AFCON in 2022.

Although they have never won the competition, they have enjoyed strong finishes in the past decade, reaching the final in 2013 and coming third in 2017.