Burkina Faso are not inferior to record seven-time winners Egypt as both sides clash in the African Nations Cup semi-final on Wednesday, coach Paulo Durate said.
''Egypt has a good team but our team is also good," Durate told the pre-match news conference on Tuesday.
Burkina Faso, who lost to Nigeria in the 2013 final, meet Egypt in the last four after stunning Tunisia with a late 2-0 win in the tournament's quarter-final last Saturday.
Portuguese coach Durate said he is satisfied with the progress Burkina Faso have made under his guidance.
"I've known this team for around ten years. The team did not have many good players in the past. At the time, it only had players in second and third-division clubs," he said.
''Now it's different. My players play with clubs in the first division of different leagues.
"I'm very happy with my team's performance at the Nations Cup. We produce a very good football and that is the most important thing to me."
The 48-year-old coach had a previous experience with Burkina Faso, helping them qualify for two Nations Cups in 2010 and 2012 before being dismissed following some poor results at the 2012 edition.
Meanwhile, Duarte revealed that he received a phone call from mentor Jose Mourinho on the eve of Egypt's clash.
"He is a friend, a father figure and one who over the years has changed the mentality of coaching football not only in Portugal but around the world.
"His method of training, the dynamic he brings to clubs and his analysing of opponents have made him the leader of a generation of new trainers," he said after being asked a question about his links with the Manchester United coach.
"You are magician to ask me a question like that because he actually called me yesterday. He also called me the last time I was here in Gabon when we played a friendly match against Portugal," explained Duarte, who was coach of Gabon before returning for a second spell as Burkina Faso coach.
"He's a friend. A great leader. We might speak only once or twice in a while but he is always willing to give advice."
Duarte's last seasons as a player overlapped with the start of Mourinho's coaching career at Uniao Leiria in Portugal.
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