Ouagadougou: The National Fire Brigade (BNSP) emerged victorious against the National Gendarmerie team, winning 4-2 in the opening match of the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Cup in military football. The match took place on Thursday at the Issoufou Joseph Conombo Municipal Stadium in Ouagadougou.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the Firefighters began the inaugural match of the tournament with a strong performance. They led the first half 2-1, demonstrating their dominance early on. In the second half, the BNSP extended their lead by scoring two additional goals, despite a missed penalty. The Gendarmerie managed to reduce the deficit towards the end of the game, but the Firefighters’ ambitions in this competition were clear.
The tournament, which had been on hiatus for over a decade, was revived by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Brigadier General Moussa Diallo. He emphasized the importance of the competition in strengthening troop cohesion and resilience, stating, “We are resuming to galvanize our troops… to strengthen our cohesion to achieve the final victory.”
Brigadier General Diallo explained that the competition was previously interrupted due to security issues in the country. Since 2011, the increasing threats required military units to be deployed, leading to the hiatus. Competition coordinator and central director of military sports, Louis Remy Hien, noted that 12 entities are participating in the tournament, which includes two phases before advancing to the semi-finals.
The participating teams in the tournament are the Air Force, the Army, the BNSP, the National Gendarmerie, the Special and Rapid Intervention Brigade (BSIR), Water and Forests, the Central Group of Armies, the VDP Brigade, Customs, the GSP, the Municipal Police, and the National Police. The competition is scheduled to run from September 18 to October 3, with matches taking place at various venues including the municipal stadium, the Police Academy, the PMK, and Camp Paspanga.