FRANCEVILLE, Gabon (Reuters) – An unfortunate own goal by Rudinilson Silva set Burkina Faso on the way to a 2-0 win over Guinea Bissau and a place in the African Nations Cup quarter-finals on Sunday.
Bertrand Traore added the second with a simple breakaway goal just before the hour as Burkina Faso finished top of Group A with five points from three games, ahead of Cameroon on goal difference.
Guinea Bissau bowed out after taking one point although they were far from disgraced on their first appearance at the finals.
They gave as good as they got on Sunday but lacked the killer touch in front of goal and were let down by defensive lapses at the back.
Burkina were gifted the lead after 12 minutes when the hapless Rudinilson tried to intercept a ball into the penalty area but instead sent a looping header past his stranded goalkeeper Jonas Mendes.
Replays showed the ball had crossed the line even before Rudinilson’s team mate Tomas Dabo had appeared to make a last-ditch goalline clearance, only to see the ball hit the post and Burkina’s Prejuce Nakoulma slam home the rebound.
The rest of the first half produced few real chances although Guinea Bissau’s Piqueti forced a good save from Herve Koffi just before the break.
Frederic Mendy headed wide from a corner as Guinea Bissau made a promising start to the second half, but just as they began to look threatening, Burkina struck again.
Koffi’s long goal kick was headed on by Aristide Bance to Nakoulma and he slipped the ball to Traore in space on the right. Traore did the rest as he ran on to fire his past Mendes.
Guinea Bissau kept pushing forward and substitute Abel Camara had a chance to pull one back when he got clear down the left but his shot flashed across the face of the Burkina goal.
It was the third time Burkina had got past the group stage. They reached the semi-finals in 1998 and lost to Nigeria in the final in 2013.
(Writing by Brian Homewood; Editing by Ian Chadband)
