Ouagadougou, (AIB) – Former coach of the Stallions of Burkina Faso Idrissa Malo Traoré known as Saboteur died on the afternoon of December 3 following illness. The one the country of honest men mourns today was a tough defender who made life difficult for attackers, hence his name Saboteur. Portrait.
It was on the Fascebook page of Saboteur’s daughter, the musician artist, Sonia Traoré that the AIB learned of the disappearance of the man who had football in his blood. The deceased’s great deeds made him particularly noted during his lifetime.
Testimonies and media sources indicate that Saboteur began his career as a full-back. The sports consultant Mohamed Soumaré explains that “on Sunday February 12, 1967 Upper Volta received Mali in Ouagadougou as part of the last day of the CAN 1968 qualifiers. The French coach of the Voltaic team Guy Fabre, assigned to his rear right side, the mission to annihilate all the actions of the Malian winger Niambélé. At the end of the match, despite the Malian victory, Niambélé was put under the spotlight and Drissa Malo Traoré was congratulated by his coach and by the local press, which headlined the next day, “Drissa Traoré sabotaged Niambélé’s game”. The right side ends up taking the nickname Saboteur.”
Who is this full-back whose mission is to slow down the play of his opponents. His name in civil status is Idrissa Malo Traoré. He was born on December 24, 1943 in Gaoua. He took his first steps as a footballer at the Bobo-Dioulasso Sports Association of Civil Servants. In 1962, he moved to the capital and settled down at Jeanne D’Arc (ASFA Yennenga). He played there until 1970, before pursuing higher studies in law in Montpellier.
He took the opportunity to play a few matches with AS PTT. With his doctorate in criminology, he completed his football coaching qualifications in Germany (Cologne). From 1975, he coached several teams including RCK, ASFA Yennenga, ASEC of Abidjan, Stade d’Abidjan, Sabé sport of Bouna, SC Gagnoa with several titles to his name.
In 1992, after leading the RCK railway workers to the semi-final of the African Cup, he was entrusted with the position of coach of the Burkina Stallions, which they qualified for the 1996 CAN in South Africa. He was the first coach to qualify the national team for a CAN on the field. After 2 defeats in Bloemfontein against Sierra Leone and Zambia, he was replaced by his assistant Calixte Zagré from South Africa.
Just after, he provided his services in Congo, Gabon, Central African Republic, Niger, Mali and Ivory Coast (Champions League semi-final with ASEC).
Back home, he once again took the reins of the Etalons in 2006. An adventure which would end after a few matches in the 2008 CAN qualifiers.
“Assimilated” police officer, he carries out missions in Africa on behalf of the United Nations.
Towards the end of the 2010s, he took charge of the Tigres de Diarradougou (Racing Club de Bobo Dioulasso).
He is the author of several works such as “Football and the Coach”, “Football Courses”, “The Psychology of Command”, “Police and Human Rights”, “My Experience in Resolving the Burundian Crisis”.
A man of law, a man of letters, a beloved or contested coach, a man of convictions, a fighter above all for respect for the rights of all, “Saboteur” left today, December 3, 2023. He will join the celestial kingdom of other Burkinabé coaches like Diarra Sidiki, Jacques Yaméogo, Calixte Zagré and many others.
Source: Burkina Information Agency