Dayo reverses retirement as Burkina Faso recall key trio for Mauritania qualifiers

Veteran defender Issoufou Dayo has reversed his international retirement and returned to the Burkina Faso squad, providing coach Amir Abdou with a major boost ahead of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations PAMOJA 2027 qualifying double-header against Mauritania.

The Wydad AC centre-back had announced his retirement from international football in January following the Africa Cup of Nations but is back in a 25-man squad for Matchdays 3 and 4 of the qualifying campaign.

Dayo’s return is accompanied by the recalls of Josué Tiendrébéogo and Sacha Banse, giving Abdou additional options as the Stallions look to strengthen their position in Group F.

Banse returns after several months out through injury, while Tiendrébéogo is also back in the national set-up after missing the previous international window.

The squad otherwise contains many of Burkina Faso’s established players, including Edmond Tapsoba, Nasser Djiga, Dango Ouattara and Hervé Koffi.

Tapsoba and Djiga provide experience at the heart of defence, while Ouattara remains one of the most dangerous attacking players in the team.

In midfield, Abdou has retained a group that includes Ismahila Ouédraogo, Mohamed Zougrana, Lohann Doucet and Rachid Kouda, with Banse and Tiendrébéogo offering fresh competition.

The forward line also includes Lassina Traoré, Cyriaque Irié, Georgi Minoungou, Ousséni Bouda, Elohim Kaboré, Aboubacar Camara and Abdoul Fessal Tapsoba.

The November fixtures come at an important stage of the qualification campaign.

Burkina Faso sit among the leading teams in Group F after the opening two rounds, with the back-to-back matches against Mauritania offering Abdou’s side the opportunity to take greater control of the group before the final qualifying windows.

The return of Dayo could be particularly significant because of his leadership and experience.

The 35-year-old has been one of the most recognisable figures in Burkina Faso’s defence for several years and his decision to return gives Abdou an additional senior presence at a crucial point in the campaign.

For the Stallions, the focus now will be on turning that experience and depth into points as they continue their push towards qualification for the 2027 finals in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

Burkina Faso squad for Mauritania

Goalkeepers:
Hillel Konaté (ESTAC Troyes, France)
Kilian Nikiema (ADO Den Haag, Netherlands)
Hervé Koffi (Union Saint-Gilloise, Belgium)

Defenders:
Arsène Kouassi (FC Lorient, France)
Rachide Gnanou (IF Gnistan, Finland)
Edmond Tapsoba (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)
Arthur Zagré (FC Utrecht, Netherlands)
Mamoutou Ouédraogo (Sheriff Tiraspol, Moldova)
Nasser Djiga (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England)
Issa Kaboré (Wrexham, Wales)
Issoufou Dayo (Wydad AC, Morocco)

Midfielders:
Ismahila Ouédraogo (Odense, Denmark)
Mohamed Zougrana (MC Alger, Algeria)
Lohann Doucet (Vitoria Guimaraes, Portugal)
Sacha Banse (Greuther Fürth, Germany)
Josué Tiendrébéogo (FK IMT Belgrade, Serbia)
Rachid Kouda (Mantova 1911, Italy)

Forwards:
Dango Ouattara (Brentford, England)
Georgi Minoungou (Colorado Rapids, USA)
Cyriaque Irié (FC Fribourg, Switzerland)
Ousséni Bouda (San Jose Earthquakes, USA)
Elohim Kaboré (SK Beveren, Belgium)
Lassina Traoré (Shakhtar Donetsk, Ukraine)
Aboubacar Camara (FC Salzburg, Austria)
Abdoul Fessal Tapsoba (Radomiak Radom, Poland)