Burkina Faso’s planned friendly against Argentina has been thrown into doubt after the Stallions were left stranded in Casablanca on Friday night, less than 24 hours before kick-off in Buenos Aires.
The Burkinabè squad had not secured transport to Argentina after the charter flight scheduled for Wednesday 30 September was cancelled without notice. The match is due to start at 21:00 local time on Saturday, or 02:00 in France on Sunday morning.
Quick facts
- Burkina Faso were still in Casablanca on Friday night.
- Their chartered flight to Buenos Aires was cancelled without warning.
- Argentina v Burkina Faso is scheduled for Saturday night in Argentina.
- Burkina Faso had beaten the Central African Republic 1-0 on Monday.
- Argentina defeated Bolivia 4-0 in Córdoba on Wednesday.
The team had remained in Morocco following Monday’s 1-0 win over the Central African Republic in 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying. They were then expected to travel on to Argentina for the friendly.
The Burkina Faso Football Federation said alternative travel arrangements had been examined, but the length of the journey created concerns among the players. It did not clarify whether the squad would be able to reach Buenos Aires in time for the fixture.
For Argentina, the game is meant to be the second of three friendlies in the current international window. The world champions began the sequence with a 4-0 victory over Bolivia in Córdoba on Wednesday.
They are then scheduled to face Benin at Buenos Aires’ Monumental Stadium on Tuesday, a match expected to give Argentine supporters the chance to bid farewell to Lionel Messi.
