Burkina Faso Choose Not to Renew Duarte Contract

Burkina Faso Football Association (FBF) has announced that they will not renew the employment contract of the Stallions head coach Paulo Duarte.

FBF announced the development in a press statement made available to Ducor Sports, after the federation officials analysed a report filed by the Portuguese tactician.

Duarte, 50, had his contract due to expire at the end of July 2019, but the decision not to renew it took time after his failure to qualify the Stallions to this year’s Africa Cup of Nations.

“As the target to qualify the Stallions to 2019 Africa Cup of Nations was not reached, the FBF has notified Paulo Duarte on July 1, 2019 that his contract, which expires on July 31, will not be renewed,” reads part of the statement as translated from French.

Duarte returned to Burkina Faso for a second spell in December 2015, having coached the Stallions between 2008 and 2012 during which time he lead them to two Africa Cup of Nations finals tournaments.

During his first spell with Burkina Faso Duarte spent several months coaching both Stallions and French club Le Mans, before being sacked by them in 2009.

He went onto coach Gabon on April 2012 until September the following year before taking on Tunisian club CS Sfaxien from April until August 2015.

Duarte’s last assignment in charge of the Stallions was a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against already qualified Mauritania on March where his charges won 1-0.

But their slender win was not enough for the Stallions to qualify for the tournament proper as they finished third in Group I with ten points.

They needed a win and hope Angola lose or draw against Botswana in the other group match.

But the Palancas Negras won by 1-0 to join Mauritania at the ongoing 32nd edition of the biennial tournament.