Burkina Faso is on the verge of history as the team takes on Algeria in the first leg of the World Cup qualifiers.
The winner of the two-legged playoff moves on to the World Cup finals in Brazil next summer. Algeria was a participant in the 2010 version held in South Africa but Burkina Faso has never been a contender to make it to the big tournament.
Now Burkina Faso, a finalist in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, enters the matchup as the favorite to win. Despite the importance of the moment and the pressure, the team seems to be taking things calmly.
“We are staying casual as possible, doing everything towards the 'D-day'. We are not stressing ourselves too much since we want to express ourselves better at the August 4 Stadium on Saturday,” said Burkina Faso defender Bakary Kone, according to All Africa.
“Honestly, we are preparing with the same spirit as the previous games. We are professionals and we take every game seriously,” added coach Paul Put in an interview with Box Score News. "It will be historic if we qualify, and everyone including the players are focused and motivated to deliver.”
Burkina Faso finished atop Group E of the Africa Qualifiers with 12 points in six games; second place Congo finished just one point behind.
Meanwhile, Algeria dominated Group H with 15 points in six matches; unlike Burkina Faso, Algeria only won one match.
Prediction: Burkina Faso wins the first leg at home 2-1.
Start Time: The match gets underway at 12 p.m. EST.