Count Down to AFCON 2017 - Coaches Profile: Paulo Jorge Duarte

By Edward Gyasi, GNA
Accra, Jan 9, GNA - The Stallions of Burkina Faso, have had a consistent qualification to the Africa Cup of Nations since Angola 2010.

Their participation to this year's tournament equalizes their own record of consistent AFCON qualification, which was achieved from 1996 to 2004. Having had a disappointing performance in the previous edition, the West Africans will be seeking to make things right this time around following their re-appointment of Paulo Jorge Duarte.

Jorge Duarte, is expected to lead the onslaught of Burkina Faso at the continental competition, as much will count on his technical and tactical abilities to make progress in the competition.

Paulo Duarte was born on April 6, 1969 in Massarelos, Portugal and started his youth football with Boavista FC, between the years of 1982 to 1987. He then moved to União Coimbra for his professional career, where he spent a season and got transferred to União Leiria in 1988.

Duarte played for both Salgueiros and Maritimo in the space of 4years, two years apiece and then moved back to União Leiria and became a key player for former Jose Mourihno's side in 2001.

Duarte hanged his boots in 2004 at União Leiria and was then named as the assistant to Vítor Pontes who was the head coach of the side. After just two seasons as the assistant, he was appointed as the head coach of União Leiria, where he help the team place 7th position of the league table.

After some few months, Duarte was appointed as the head coach of the Stallions of Burkina Faso, but in between his contract he was also named as the head coach of former Ligue 1 side, Le Mans, making him a coach for two different sides at the same period of time. Le Mans realized his divided attention wasn't helpful so they terminated his contract after just a couple of months.

In his last year with Burkina Faso, he qualified to the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, but failed to progress to the next round of the competition.

Duarte, later in 2012 became the head coach of Gabon where he spent just a year. Some few days after signing for Club Sportif Faxien in Tunisia, He was appointed as the head coach of Burkina Faso in 2015.

Paulo Jorge Duarte's experience with the Burkinabe's football and the Africa Cup of Nations would be a key element for the success of the Stallions, as they face competitions from the host nation, Gabon, Cameroon and Guinea Bissau in Group A.

GNA