Mauritania secured a valuable 1-0 win over Burkina Faso in an intense Group B clash of the CHAN 2024, played in Dar es Salaam. A first-half penalty from Alassane Diop, following a VAR intervention and a rival sending-off, made the difference in a tense match dominated by defensive discipline.

First half marked by VAR and discipline

The game started at high intensity, with both sides aware of the importance of the points at stake. Burkina Faso threatened first through Issouf Kaboré, Abdoul Abass Guiro and Ousmane Siry, but goalkeeper Abderrahmane Sarr handled the danger with composure.

The momentum shifted when Abdoulaye Touré committed an off-the-ball foul on Moulaye Al Khalil, initially punished with a yellow card but upgraded to a straight red after a VAR review. The decisive blow for the “Stallions” came in stoppage time: a foul in the box by Kalifa Nikièma on El Mami Tetah led to a penalty that Diop calmly slotted into the bottom left corner to make it 1-0.

Resilience with a man down

Despite being a man down, Burkina Faso pushed forward after the break. Patrick Malo forced Sarr into a fine save, while at the other end Ladji Brahima Sanou denied two dangerous efforts from Tetah.

Mauritania, aware of the significance of the scoreline, made midfield changes to control the pace of the game. Still, Issa Balbon’s side nearly found the equaliser when Abdoul Baguian’s header struck the post and Papus Ouattara was denied at point-blank range by Sarr.

In the closing stages, the match turned into an end-to-end affair. Sarr came up big again to stop a header from Guiro, while Sanou prevented Moctar El Hacen from doubling the lead with a spectacular diving save.

Key win for qualification hopes

With this victory, Mauritania move to seven points, sitting second in Group B behind Tanzania. Madagascar, on four points after beating Central African Republic, are the only team that can still match them in the final matchday. Burkina Faso, meanwhile, are out of the race with just three points and one game left.

Coach Artiz López Garai will see this performance as a display of tactical intelligence and defensive solidity — qualities that could be decisive in securing a place in the quarterfinals.