Ouagadougou: Song, Eto’o steal show at relaunch of Burkina Faso national stadium.

The former Indomitable Lions pair stole the show after they handed major roles during an audience between Burkina Faso leader, Ibrahim Traore and the grouping of African football legends in the leadup to the reopening ceremony and in the course of a gala match organised to effectively launch the sports facility.

While Eto’o bagged the frontline role of spokesperson of the African football legends during the audience, Song served as the head coach of the African legends during the gala match.

Song successfully coached the football legends to a 1-1 tie in the gala match which pitted the former soccer stars against a selection of elements from the Burkinabe defense and security forces.

The African legends team was among others, made up of the former team captain of the Togolese national football team, Emmanuel Adebayor, Senegal’s El Hadj Diouf, Seydou Keita of Mali and the larger Cameroonian contingent of Stephane Mbia, Benjamin Moukandjou and Alexander Song. 

Eto’o says Burkina Faso place to be 

Speaking on behalf of the grouping of African legends, Samuel Eto’o expressed the contingent’s gratitude to the leader of Burkina Faso and the Burkinabe people. 

The two-time Africa Cup of Nations winner described the reception granted to the delegation and the gala match as a special moment to celebrate unity and African identity. 

He urged the legends to maintain strong ties with Burkina Faso, insisting that Burkina Faso is a home to the legendary footballers and the rest of the African continent.

“First of all, we want to say thank you for welcoming us to our home, your home. I hope that those who are in Ouagadougou not be doing so for last time,” the former Inter Milan and FC Barcelona star stated.

“We need to come back because Burkina Faso is part of Africa and you can see that all these legends have brought a lot of smiles to this continent. We feel at home everywhere in our continent,” the president of the Cameroon Football Federation, FECAFOOT, insisted. 

The reopened Burkinabe national stadium was closed down for renovation several months ago after the Confederation of African Football, CAF deemed the facility substandard for international matches and ban the facility in 2021.

The recent work is the second renovation that has been carried out on the 29 thousand capacity seater facility since its was opened in 1984.

By Indah Victory, Journalism student on internship

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3525 of Wednesday August 06, 2025.