Horses: Arsène Kouassi officially acquires Burkinabè citizenship | OneFootball

Horses: Arsène Kouassi officially acquires Burkinabè citizenship

The Burkinabè Council of Ministers convened on October 23 and passed a significant decree granting citizenship to Kouassi Kan Gai Arsène, just two months ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations kickoff.

With this, the Lorient left-back is now officially a Burkinabè citizen, just weeks before the continental tournament—a move that allows him to play official matches in the colors of Burkina Faso.

This unprecedented government decision aims to prevent the loss of another promising talent from the Horses’ academy, especially since the player himself had expressed his desire to represent Burkina Faso. Arsène Kouassi, the 20-year-old left-back, is seen as a major boost for the Stallions in a position where the team has struggled with a lack of experience for years.

Thus, a long chapter comes to a close, bringing relief to fans of the Burkina Faso national team. Despite being called up several times, Arsène Kouassi—originally from Côte d'Ivoire—had been unable to feature under Brahima Traoré in official matches due to “administrative reasons.” The left-back, a product of the New Stars team in Ouagadougou, received his first call-up in March 2025 and made his international debut in a friendly against Tunisia in June (a 0-2 defeat).

Since joining Lorient last July from Ajaccio, Arsène Kouassi has quickly established himself in Ligue 1. The new Burkinabè international defender has played in all eight league matches so far this season, starting in seven of them. His latest standout performance saw him score one goal and provide an assist in the thrilling 3-3 draw between Lorient and Brest in Ligue 1’s eighth round.