NELSPRUIT, South Africa (Reuters) – Burkina Faso won a first African Nations Cup final place on Wednesday after a sensational penalty shootout win over Ghana but will take the field on Sunday without key player Jonathan Pitroipa who was shown a controversial red card.

Burkina, who will meet Nigeria at Soccer City, edged their neighbours 3-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at the end of extra time in the semi-final at the Mbombela Stadium to continue the dream run by a team who started as rank outsiders.

NELSPRUIT, South Africa, Feb 6 (Reuters) – Burkina Faso won a first African Nations Cup final place on Wednesday after a sensational penalty shootout win over Ghana but will take the field on Sunday without key player Jonathan Pitroipa who was shown a controversial red card.

Burkina, who will meet Nigeria at Soccer City, edged their neighbours 3-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at the end of extra time in the semi-final at the Mbombela Stadium to continue the dream run by a team who started as rank outsiders.

NELSPRUIT, South Africa (Reuters) – Burkina Faso reached the African Nations Cup final for the first time with a dramatic 3-2 penalty shoutout win over Ghana on Wednesday after their semi-final ended 1-1 following extra time.

They clinched the victory after Emmanuel Agyemang Badu missed Ghana’s third penalty after a weak shimmy and shot.

NELSPRUIT, South Africa, Feb 6 (Reuters) – Burkina Faso reached the African Nations Cup final for the first time with a dramatic 3-2 penalty shoutout win over Ghana on Wednesday after their semi-final ended 1-1 following extra time.

They clinched the victory after Emmanuel Agyemang Badu missed Ghana’s third penalty after a weak shimmy and shot.

NELSPRUIT, South Africa, Feb 6 (Reuters) – Burkina Faso hope to break new ground and book a first African Nations Cup final appearance when they ‘host’ Ghana in Nelspruit on Wednesday.

The west African country take on their southern neighbours at the Mbombela Stadium (1830 GMT), which they say has become something of a fortress for them after four undefeated matches in the provincial town.

NELSPRUIT, South Africa (Reuters) – Burkina Faso coach Paul Put, whose own career was blighted by his involvement in a match-fixing scandal in Belgium in 2005, says the problem has always existed in football and little can be done.

The Belgian has made progress in his bid to rehabilitate his reputation by taking the unfancied side to the African Nations Cup semi-finals on Wednesday but his murky past has become a focus in the build-up since the release of Europol’s report this week detailing widespread European match-fixing.

NELSPRUIT, South Africa, Feb 5 (Reuters) – Burkina Faso coach Paul Put, whose own career was blighted by his involvement in a match-fixing scandal in Belgium in 2005, says the problem has always existed in soccer and little can be done.

The Belgian has made progress in his bid to rehabilitate his reputation by taking the unfancied side to the African Nations Cup semi-finals on Wednesday but his murky past has become a focus in the build-up since the release of Europol’s report this week detailing widespread European match-fixing.

NELSPRUIT, South Africa (Reuters) – Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah said the controversial Mbombela Stadium pitch in Nelspruit will not be a distraction for his players in Wednesday’s African Nations Cup semi-final against Burkina Faso.

Much of the grass had been killed by a fungus in the build-up to the tournament after recent heavy rains and had to have a coating of sand, leaving it hard and patchy in a major embarrassment to organisers.

NELSPRUIT, South Africa, Feb 5 (Reuters) – Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah said the controversial Mbombela Stadium pitch in Nelspruit will not be a distraction for his players in Wednesday’s African Nations Cup semi-final against Burkina Faso.

Much of the grass had been killed by a fungus in the build-up to the tournament after recent heavy rains and had to have a coating of sand, leaving it hard and patchy in a major embarrassment to organisers.

NELSPRUIT (Reuters) – Ghana and Nigeria hope they are headed for a heavyweight clash in the African Nations Cup final but Mali and Burkina Faso could well emerge as the spoilers in Wednesday’s semi-finals.

For the first time in Nations Cup history, all four semi-finalists are from the west African region and while Ghana and Nigeria have the pedigree, Mali appeared to have the most depth while Burkina Faso proved the surprise package.