Sunderland star Traore to lead Burkina Faso
Sunderland striker Bertrand Traore has been picked to compete in a sixth Africa Cup of Nations as part of a 25-man Burkina Faso squad.
The 30 year-old was only 16 when he first appeared for Burkina Faso at the 2012 finals, making a substitute appearance in their last group game after the Burkinabe had already been eliminated, and has competed in four tournaments since, captaining the side two years ago.
He will be the key player in the squad for this year's finals in Morocco, which coach Brama Traore named for its Group E campaign where it opens against Equatorial Guinea in Casablanca on 24 December and then plays Algeria and Sudan.
The 32 year-old full back Steeve Yago will be competing at his fifth Cup of Nations, while it is the fourth for goalkeeper Herve Koffi, midfielder Blati Toure, and centre back Issoufou Dayo.
A total of 15 players are retained from the last Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast, where Burkina Faso were eliminated in the round of 16.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Herve Koffi (Angers), Kylian Nikiema (ADO Den Haag), Farid Ouedraogo (Al Hilal)
Defenders: Abdoul Ayinde (KAA Gent), Issoufou Dayo (Umm Salal, Qatar), Nasser Djiga (Rangers), Issa Kabore (Wrexham), Arsene Kouassi (Lorient), Adamo Nagalo (PSV Eindhoven), Edmond Tapsoba (Bayer Leverkusen), Steeve Yago (Aris Limassol)
Midfielders: Cedric Badolo (Spartak Trnava), Stephane Aziz Ki (Wydad Casablanca), Ismaila Ouedraogo (Odense), Saidou Simpore (National Bank Egypt), Blati Toure (Pyramids), Gustavo Sangare (Noah), Mohamed Zoungrana (Mouloudia Alger)
Forwards: Ousseni Bouda (San Jose Earthquakes), Cyriaque Irie (Freiburg), Pierre Kabore (Hearts), Georgi Minoungou (Seattle Sounders), Dango Ouattara (Brentford), Bertrand Traore (Sunderland), Lassina Traore (Shakhtar Donetsk).
