Burkina Faso head coach Brahima Traore says playing in a group of three teams will be complicated, and make the task difficult for his side as they seek a ticket to the quarter finals.

Burkina Faso will battle with Mali and Cameroon in Group C, following the elimination of South Sudan

"It's always difficult to play in a group of three, especially noting that we had already prepared to play three matches. It becomes complicated for the three countries," Traore said, speaking at the pre-match press conference before his side's opening match against Mali.

He adds; "This means there is little room for error and you have to win your first match by all costs to have at least a 90pc chance of progressing. That is our goal and we will work hard to do it."

Traore looks forward to the duel against Mali, expecting a difficult outing but reckons they have what it takes to battle for a win.

"Mali is a team we know. They have won this tournament twice and have had good results in Youth Championships. We are not favorites in this competition, but we will work hard to achieve good results," says the coach.

"Our objective is first to reach the semi-finals and qualify for the World Cup, and then secondly, to win the trophy. To achieve this objective, we must start by winning against Mali."

Skipper Chabane Camara also affirmed his coach's words, and said they will be stepping on the pitch to give their best to achieve their targets.

"We fear no country. They have their strengths and we have ours too. I am confident in our team. We will try to achieve our goals," he said.

Mali and Burkina Faso face off in Annaba on Monday evening, 18h00 local time in what will be Group C's opening match.