Amir Abdou explains why Lassina Traoré is missing from the squad list
“We didn’t want to take any risks”
Burkina Faso is set to play two international friendlies against Russia and Belarus.
But these two matches, scheduled for 5 and 9 June in Volgograd and Minsk, will be without Lassina Traore. The striker, who plays for Shakhtar Donetsk, is not among the 25 players called up. Yet the Burkinabe player is coming off a convincing season with 7 goals and 6 assists. Whilst his absence from the squad has sparked reactions, Amir Abdou was keen to set the record straight.
“His absence is not down to sporting reasons. Lassina had a great season, especially towards the end. Getting into Russia with his passport is a bit complicated. We didn’t want to take any risks. We’ll miss him.”
