AFCON 2025: Bertrand Traoré to lead Burkina Faso at sixth finals
Bertrand Traoré will spearhead Burkina Faso’s bid for Africa Cup of Nations success in Morocco after being named in Brama Traoré’s 25-man squad for the tournament.
At 30, Traoré is set to appear at a sixth AFCON finals — a rare achievement that underlines both his longevity and importance to the Stallions. His international journey began as a teenager and has since evolved into one of leadership and responsibility at the highest level of African football.
From teenage debutant to national leader
Traoré’s Africa Cup of Nations story started in 2012 when, aged just 16, he made his tournament debut as a substitute in Burkina Faso’s final group match after the team had already been eliminated.
He was absent from the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations — a tournament that remains the most successful in the country’s continental history. Burkina Faso reached the final for the first time, losing narrowly to Nigeria, while his elder brother Alain Traoré played a central role, scoring three goals during the campaign.
Even before his AFCON debut, Bertrand Traoré had already broken into the senior national team. He made his debut aged 15 in a friendly against Equatorial Guinea in September 2011, having already represented Burkina Faso at youth level, including at the 2009 Fifa Under-17 World Cup. He also helped his country win the 2011 African Under-17 Championship.
Key moments on the continental stage
Traoré’s rise at senior level began unusually early. He made his debut for the Burkina Faso national team aged just 15, appearing in a friendly against Equatorial Guinea in September 2011 — a sign of the high expectations placed on him from the outset.
His first senior international goal came in August 2013, when he opened the scoring in a 2–1 friendly victory away to Morocco, a symbolic moment given the country will host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Traoré went on to establish himself as a regular presence at the continental finals. He featured at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, playing in all three group matches, before enjoying his most memorable tournament in 2017.
At that edition, Burkina Faso finished third, with Traoré scoring in a decisive 2–0 win over Guinea-Bissau that secured qualification for the quarter-finals and underlined his growing influence within the side.
Group E challenge in Morocco
Burkina Faso have been drawn in Group E and will open their campaign against Equatorial Guinea in Casablanca on 24 December, before further matches against Algeria and Sudan.
Head coach Brama Traoré has retained 15 players from the squad that exited in the round of 16 at the 2023 finals in Ivory Coast, as the Stallions look to combine experience with ambition.
Carrying the Traoré legacy
With former captain Alain Traoré now retired from international football, Bertrand remains the leading bearer of the Traoré name in the national team. He heads into the tournament with 86 caps and 22 goals for Burkina Faso.
As the Stallions aim to make a deep run in Morocco, much will once again depend on the experience, leadership and composure of Bertrand Traoré — a player whose Africa Cup of Nations story continues to unfold.