Argentina's friendly against Burkina Faso hangs in the balance

Argentina’s friendly against Burkina Faso is in doubt after severe travel disruption left the visiting delegation stranded in Morocco, with some players reportedly refusing to make the trip amid unresolved internal issues.

The match is scheduled for a 6:00 am kickoff on Sunday morning, as per Bangladesh time. 

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Burkina Faso’s original charter flight, scheduled for September 30, was cancelled without prior notice, leaving the team stuck for several days. An alternative flight was eventually arranged on Friday night, but the delegation faces a gruelling 24-hour journey to Buenos Aires, leaving virtually no time to recover before the scheduled kick-off.

Investigative journalist Romain Molina reported on X that several Burkina Faso players had left the training camp and would not travel to Argentina, citing organisational and financial disputes.

“Burkina Faso’s national team will take off tonight for Argentina on a private flight to play tomorrow. Nevertheless, some players have left the camp and will not be making the trip due to organisational issues and certain financial matters,” Molina wrote.

The Burkinabe Football Federation (FBF) confirmed the travel problems in an official statement, saying the delegation’s journey had been thrown into disarray after the charter company cancelled the September 30 flight without warning.

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“The senior national team’s travel was disrupted after the charter company cancelled, without prior notice, the flight originally scheduled for September 30. That cancellation forced a reorganisation of the delegation’s travel itinerary,” the federation said.

The FBF said the Ministry of Sports, the federation itself and the Burkinabe embassy had been working to find a solution and get the team to Buenos Aires as quickly as possible.

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“Several options have been explored to reschedule the departure, but certain constraints, particularly related to travel time, have generated reluctance among the players,” the federation said.

The statement did not confirm how many players had withdrawn from the trip, but the reported disputes and travel difficulties have cast serious doubt over Burkina Faso’s ability to field a full-strength side against Argentina.