Brahima Traore on returning to a nation he holds close to his heart for the U-17 World Cup, Burkina Faso's big ambitions, and star striker Alio's qualities.
Back in July, when FIFA President Gianni Infantino named Indonesia as the host country of the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2023™, the celebrations were not confined to the Southeast Asian archipelago.
Some 6,400 kilometres from Zurich, in Burkina Faso's capital of Ouagadougou, the national U-17 team coach Brahima Traore heard the news and jumped for joy, realising he would be returning to the country where he had spent a large part of his career.
In 2006, Traore became of one of the first Africans to play professionally in Indonesia. Fans of Persatuan Bandung, Gresik United and Persiraja Banda Aceh still fondly remember this technically gifted and physically impressive midfielder, and his trusty right foot.
Fast forward 17 years, Traore is again packing his bags for Indonesia, only this time as the head of the national U-17 team. In what will be the country's fifth tilt at the U-17 World Cup, the Burkinabes will be hoping to go one better than at the 2001 edition, when they reached the semi-finals and took home the bronze medal.
With the tournament fast approaching, FIFA caught up with the Burkina Faso coach daring to dream big.
As someone who knows Indonesia very well, how did you feel on learning it would host this year's U-17 World Cup?
Brahima Traore: All the memories from my time in this beautiful country came flooding back. A lot of people called to say, 'Ah! You're going back to your country!'. I'll try to see some Indonesian friends again and I'll be in familiar territory.
At the 2023 CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations, your guys came through some tough examinations. For example, against defending champions Cameroon, you came from behind to win 2-1, and then hung on to beat Nigeria by the same score when they threatened a comeback. Where does this mental strength come from?
Burkinabes are people of integrity and Burkina Faso never admits defeat - it fights to the end. Our team has a strong mentality, with solidarity our finest quality. That was what allowed us to handle all these situations. At the AFCON, we ended up in a three-team group after the withdrawal of South Sudan. Mali beat us in our opening game, so we already had our backs against the wall before facing Cameroon. These kinds of situations are a double-edged sword, because you can either lose your grip or get your act together. We're a group that chooses the second option.
During the U-17 AFCON, your striker Souleymane Alio was named Player of the Tournament. What can you tell us about this young striker?
I have to admit that I almost failed to notice his talent. After talent-spotting sessions at the national technical centre a few weeks before going to Ghana to play the UFOA (Union of West African Football Federations) Cup, I had pre-selected 280 players but not retained Alio.
His coach called me and said, 'Coach, give him a second chance. Trust me, he's good'. I took his advice and brought him back. Alio had been developed as wide player, but when I saw his profile, I moved him to centre-forward.
He wasn't in the starting XI when we went to the UFOA Cup but, when we faced Niger there, our first-choice striker was injured.
Even though Alio only played the last 15 minutes of the game, it was enough to win me over. Since then, he's been an automatic starter. He's still young - only 16 - but he's a very unselfish striker. We'll be counting on him for this World Cup.
In 2001, Les Petits Etalons finished third at the U-17 World Cup. What aspects of that achievement remain in the collective memory?
All that remains is pride. The people of Burkina Faso still remember that global campaign, and our fans want to see a repeat of that performance by us, or even something better. The country's performances during the 2001 edition serve as an example to follow and are a source of motivation.
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What does competing at this U-17 World Cup mean to you?
It's a big challenge for my team, but also a great stage for young players. For a month, they'll be the centre of attention and able to showcase the full range of their abilities. This competition is a springboard, and careers will surely change if everything goes well.
What are your impressions of Group E, where you face France, Korea Republic and USA?
I'm expecting really hard-fought games with very committed teams. Just like us, France, Korea Republic and USA are not at this World Cup by chance. Each team has what it takes to realise their ambitions.
And what are the team's goals at this tournament?
We'll be fighting for the honour of our country and continent. [On our last appearance] in 2011, we were eliminated at the group stage, so this time we want to do better than our third place in 2001.
Source: FIFA
