OUAGADOUGOU — Friday’s newspapers in Burkina Faso extensively covered several key events including the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing, the opening match of the 2025 African Cup of Nations qualifiers, and significant discussions surrounding the private sector’s role in national development.

According to Burkina Information Agency, L’Observateur Paalga, the oldest private newspaper in Burkina Faso, led with a headline emphasizing the private sector’s role as the leading job provider, boasting over 10.4 million employees. The paper detailed the private sector general assembly, which convened on Thursday in Ouagadougou to evaluate its performance and strategize on enhancing its socio-economic impact on the nation.

Meanwhile, the state newspaper Sidwaya reported on the interaction between Burkinabe employers and President Captain Ibrahim Traoré, highlighting the government’s commitment to revitalize the private sector. Additionally, it covered the engagement of Burkinabe businessmen from the diaspora and regional partners in these discussions.

On the international front, Sidwaya also noted President Xi Jinping’s leadership at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit in Beijing, where a new three-year cooperation roadmap was unveiled. This meeting was preceded by a ministerial conference attended by Burkina Faso’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré, on Wednesday.

In the realm of sports, the private newspaper Le Pays focused on the upcoming football match where Burkina Faso’s national team, the Stallions, will play against Senegal’s Lions of Téranga in the first round of the CAN 2025 qualifiers. The match is scheduled for Friday, September 6, 2024, at 7 p.m. GMT in Dakar’s Abdoulaye Wade Stadium. The outcome of this game is pivotal for the Stallions’ confidence in the ongoing competition.