The Mauritania national team lost to Burkina Faso 1-0 in the dying moments of the match that took place on Tuesday as part of the first round of Group D in the Africa Cup of Nations. The Burkinabe team topped the group standings with 3 points, ahead of Algeria and Angola, each with one point, while Mauritania occupies the last place with no points.
The match was tightly contested in the first half, despite Burkina Faso's initial attacking intent. The organized Mauritania team succeeded in closing down all channels with their zone defense against the midfielders and attackers of Burkina Faso, relying on counterattacks that troubled Burkina Faso's defense.
As time passed, Mauritania's performance improved, and they exchanged possession with Burkina Faso in the midfield. The Mauritanian team came close to scoring twice, only to falter with the final touch, ending the first half in a goalless draw.
Burkina Faso started the second half with greater attacking pressure and nearly scored early, thanks to a crucial intervention by Mauritian goalkeeper Babacar Niasse, who cleared a dangerous cross into the box. The Mauritanians managed to regain their tempo in the match, but midfielder Jisuma Fofana missed a chance to take the lead in the 62nd minute, shooting carelessly while facing the goal.
Burkinabe goalkeeper Hervé Koffi excelled again, parrying a dangerous shot from player Omar Sidi Bouna in the 76th minute, before substitute Bertrand Traore responded with a threatening opportunity for Burkina Faso, but the Mauritanian goalkeeper skillfully saved the shot in the 83rd minute.
The attacking pressure from Burkina Faso continued in the final minutes against a complete retreat from Mauritania. In the 89th minute, Burkina Faso was awarded a penalty kick due to a naïve defensive error from Nouh Mohamed Al-Abd. Bertrand Traore successfully converted it, sealing a crucial 1-0 victory for Burkina Faso.
