In an important qualifier for the 2025 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Burkina Faso secured a 2-0 victory over Burundi at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium.
This win strengthens Burkina Faso’s lead at the top of Group L, bringing their points total to 10 from four matches as they edge closer to qualification for the tournament set to take place in Morocco.
The Stallions started strong, with Mohamed Konaté scoring a well-placed header from a Cédric Badolo corner just five minutes into the match.
Despite Burundi’s determination to equalize, they struggled to penetrate Burkina Faso’s robust defense, which was bolstered by key saves from goalkeeper Farid Ouédraogo.
Burundi had opportunities, notably when Jean Girumugisha hit the crossbar in the 41st minute, but they could not convert their chances into goals.
In the dying moments of the match, Bertrand Traoré sealed the victory with a penalty in the 94th minute, awarded after a foul on Issa Kaboré.
With this win, Burkina Faso leads the group by three points over Senegal, who will play against Malawi in the upcoming fixture.
Burundi remains in third place with three points, while Malawi sits at the bottom without a point from three matches.
Despite the loss, Burundi displayed resilience and will look to regroup as they continue their campaign in search of a path to the AFCON tournament.