Burkina Faso were clearly on top in the first half and they took a 2-0 lead into half-time. The underdogs were also able to score a third just four minutes into the second half. However, Edmond Tapsoba and his teammates then conceded three goals between minutes 71 and 87 – the match went to penalties. All the Cameroon penalties found the back of the net while Burkina Faso missed one. The tournament hosts finished in third place with Tapsoba and Co. in an impressive fourth spot. Sunday’s final is between Senegal and Egypt.
Odilon Kossounou, the second Werkself player at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations, was on the wrong end of the 1-0 scoreline for Ivory Coast against the finalists Egypt in the Round of 16. The Ivorian returned to Leverkusen at the start of the week and is available for selection by Gerardo Seoane for the Bundesliga big match at Borussia Dortmund.
In mid-August, the Werkself will set off on a four-day trip to England to play their final two friendly matches of the 2026/27 pre-season against Premier League clubs Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United. The match in Nottingham against the Tricky Trees is on Wednesday 12 August at 20:45 CEST (19:45 BST) at the City Ground. The game against the Magpies in Newcastle is on Saturday 15 August at 16:00 CEST (15:00 BST) at the atmospheric St James’ Park. Details on ticket sales for both matches.
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Black and Red talent development at the highest level – even off the pitch: Apprentices Jule Suermann, Leandra Bellia and Julia Niederheide have successfully completed their two- or three-year apprenticeships at the club. Bayer 04 honoured the trio at the BayArena on Tuesday.
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Following the summer break, most of the players are back in Leverkusen. While two Bayer 04 first-team players are still in action at the World Cup, the players present officially kicked off the new season with fitness assessments. At the Werkstatt, the Bayer 04 rehabilitation and training centre, Robert Andrich, Edmond Tapsoba and the rest of the squad worked up quite a sweat in the sweltering summer heat. New signings Afonso Moreira and Kennet Eichhorn also successfully completed the day’s sessions alongside their new team-mates.
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The Werkself return tomorrow, Tuesday 14 July (from 11:00 CEST at the BayArena; live stream on bayer04.de, the Bayer 04 app and YouTube), with new head coach Carles Martínez leading his first training session as part of the Bayer 04 set-up. His coaching team comprises a mix of new and long-standing colleagues.
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The FIFA World Cup 2026 in the USA, Canada and Mexico is underway. A total of eight Leverkusen players are taking part in the 23rd World Cup, with 48 teams in the tournament for the first time. Bayer04.de brings you all the latest from Werkself players at the World Cup.
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