Benin, Burkina Faso share spoils in Wafu Nations Cup Group A clash
Benin played out a thrilling 2-2 draw with Burkina Faso in their Wafu Nations Cup Group A clash on Thursday night in Kumasi.
Fadel Suanon's two goals ensured the home-based Squirrels rallied from a goal down to take a 2-1 lead.
Burkina Faso shot ahead in the 21st minute when Bassirou Ouadraogo directed home from close range inside the area thanks to a selfless assist from Eric Traore.
Traore did all the damage on the right-flank when he burst into space and burrowed into the Benin area but he laid a sweet pass which was finished off by the centre-forward Ouadraogo
The Stallions shot after dictating the space of the game and it took longer for Benin to get back into the picture.
Against the run of play, Naim Djibril picked up a ball drifting to the corner flag on the right and Mohammed Diarra, the Burkina goalkeeper, had committed himself but failed to pile pressure.
Djibril fired in from that acute angle and the ball smashed the crossbar an Suanon, unmarked inside the six-yard box, connected in for the shock equalizer.
It was out of nothing and the Squirrels had levelled the scoring on 40 minutes.
Back from the break, the match looked even more balanced in terms of play and Suanon punished Burkina again due to poor goalkeeping in the 69th minute.
Right-winger Jodel Dossou whipped in a cross which Diarra could not grabbed and slipped it back into play.
Etoile Sahel striker Suanon picked it up and drilled in for his second goal for the evening.
Burkina never gave up and kept on asking questions and in the 88th minute substitute Francis Kabore turned in a shot across the face of goal for the equalizer.
Kabore had another glorious chance two minutes later but he couldn't direct it in this time round.
This was second time the two sides were meeting in a competitive match in two weeks after playing in the final of this year's West African Economic and Monetary Union (UMOA) tournament.
Burkina Faso won 9-8 on penalties after both sides failed to score in regulation time.