MALABO — Burkina Faso earned their first point in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) after playing to a goalless draw against Equatorial Guinea in a Group A match at Bata Stadium yesterday.
Burkina Faso lost their first game 2-0 to Gabon while the host nation earned a second point following their opening day 1-1 draw against Congo.
Neither side was too impressive in the opening exchanges as both teams wasted possession with poor passing in the final third.
Chances on goal were few and far between, especially in open play as neither side could make the right decision when in front of goal.
Consequently, the first real shot on goal came from a Burkina Faso free-kick on the 20 minute mark when Alain Traoré rattled the left-hand post with a 22-yard strike.
Eight minutes later the host nation also had a shot on goal from a free-kick on the left edge of the 18-yard box, but Ivan Bolado Palacios saw his curling attempt beaten away by the keeper.
In the 31st minute Burkina Faso had another shot on goal from a free-kick. This time it was the turn of Aristide Bance to let loose with a powerful strike, but the Equatorial Guinea keeper produced a good save to deny him.
Equatorial Guinea were gifted the perfect opportunity to take the lead a minute later when Armando Sipoto Bohale broke into the box from the left flank, but he was thwarted at close range by keeper Germain Sanou.
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Burkina Faso had the last say of the half when Traoré met a long ball into the box with a left-footed volley, but Felipe Ovono was on hand to push the effort onto the post in the 40th minute.
Burkina Faso continued in the same fashion after the break and Traoré came close again 10 minutes after the restart, meeting another cross from the right with a stinging 14-yard volley which went inches wide of the post.
Equatorial Guinea posed a real danger on the break and in the 57th minute Javier Balboa drove forward from the halfway line and played Ellong Doualla Viera behind the Burkina Faso defence, but his shot from close range shaved the outside of the right-hand post.
In the 73rd minute the host nation broke out from defence again, this time Enrique Boula Senobua leading the attack, but he wasted the space he created when he shot inches wide from just inside the Burkina Faso box.
Traoré missed yet another glorious chance in the 78th minute after a lay-off from Aristide Bance saw him 14-yards out from goal. Neither side could find the winner as the game ended 0-0.
Fixtures 6pm: Zambia v Tunisia
9pm: Cape Verde Islands V DRC
— SuperSport
