Burkina 4 Cape Verde 0

Burkina Faso thumped Cape Verde 4-0 in the 2018 Fifa World Cup Qualification (CAF) Group D match at the Stade du 4 Août in Ouagadougou on Tuesday night. The win sees the Stallions finish second in Group D, while the Blue Sharks finish third with both teams having failed to qualify for next year's finals which will be hosted by Russia. The Stallions were the better side in the opening stages of the match, creating chances which they could not convert. Boureima Hassane Bande placed his effort over the crossbar, before his Burkina Faso teammate Alain Traore's shot was blocked. However, Cape Verde goalkeeper Mario Evora was finally tested in the 33rd minute following a good move by the home side.

Prejuce Nakoulma unleashed a left-footed shot which was saved by Evora, who was well positioned to make a save.

France-based forward Nakoulma was looking lively for the hosts with the halftime break fast approaching.

The 30-year-old deservedly scored from close range on the stroke halftime to make it 1-0 to the Stallions.

Burkina Faso were leading 1-0 at halftime against Cape Verde following a first-half which was dominated by the hosts.

The home side made the first change of the game with Aristide Bance replacing fellow attacker Alain Traore eight minutes after the restart.

Bance made an immediate impact as he set up Nakoulma, who grabbed his brace with a header to make it 2-0 to Burkina Faso in the 58th minute.

Nakoulma then completed his hat-trick four minutes later when he scored with a header again to make it 3-0 to the hosts.

It was nearly 4-0 to Burkina Faso in the 77th minute when Bance's header forced Evora into a decent save.

Cape Verde tried to grab a late consolation goal through Julio Tavares, who missed the target in the latter stages of the game.

Late substitute Banou Diawara then sealed Burkina Faso's 4-0 win with a header from close range in stoppage time.

Burkina Faso (1) 4 (Nakoulma 45'+1, 58', 62', Diawara 90'+5)

Cape Verde (0) 0

Teams:

Burkina Faso: Koffi, Malo, Yago, Dayo, Coulibaly, A.Traoré (Bance 53') , Kaboré, Touré, Nakoulma, B. Traoré (Diawara 88'), Bandé (Sanogo 64').

Cape Verde: Evora, Varela, Stopira, Pereira (Diney 67'), Soares, Danilson (Helder Tavares 59'), Babanco (Rocha Santos 74'), Rodrigues, Ponck, Mendes, Tavares.

From SuperSport