Côte d'Ivoire v Burkina Faso, political edge to AFCON last 16 clash | OneFootball

Côte d'Ivoire face Burkina Faso in a politically charged Africa Cup of Nations last 16 tie on Tuesday at 20:00. L'Équipe notes that the rivalry extends well beyond football.

The neighbours share a border and intertwined communities, yet their leaders are opposed. In West Africa, Burkina Faso, with Mali and Niger in the Alliance of Sahel States, resists Western influence, especially France, while Côte d'Ivoire embodies the opposite despite hosting more than six million Burkinabés.

Television and social media are fixated on the tie, and influencers have urged calm as tensions linger. In September, six staff from Ivorian NGOs were arrested in Burkina Faso. Ibrahim Traoré would relish eliminating his foe Alassane Ouattara, and any win could carry meaning far beyond sport.

Attempts to defuse the mood include playful exchanges between former internationals. Alain Traoré has shared teasing notes from Salomon Kalou about another Ivorian triumph, reflecting recent meetings in which Côte d'Ivoire have won four of the last seven.

The squads mirror decades of mixed families and dual nationality. Aruna Dindane, once an Elephants star and now on the staff, has Burkinabé roots. Identity debates span Hervé Koffi, Arsène Kouassi and Alban Lafont.

Coach Brama Traoré noted Koffi was born and raised in Burkina Faso and that his father still coaches in the top division, while Lafont’s mother served five years in government. He preached unity, yet said they would like the Elephants to pass the baton and hoped Ivorians would let Burkinabés celebrate a victory, perhaps not too loudly.

Source: L'Équipe