Burundi’s ace Saido Ntibazonkiza was the little magician Burundi missed after taking a sublime free kick in the 79th minute to snatch a point for the visitors.
Shirt No.10 Ntibazonkiza yet again produced a moment of brilliance when the Intamba Murugamba needed him most during the 2021 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Group E leaders Mauritania.
“We are not giving up yet we need to train hard and take every match at a go because if we win the three remaining matches we still stand a chance,” said Ntibazonkiza.
On Wednesday 11th, November 2020 Burundi’s Intamba Murugamba clashed with Mauritania’s Mourabitounes in Nouakchott, the hosts took the lead through a free kick scored by Bakary N’diaye in the half hour mark but it was not until the 79th minute when Burundi cancelled out Bakary N’diaye’s lead.
Saido Ntibazonkiza’s 79th minute equalizer gave Burundi their first point of Group E after playing three games.
The draw still leaves Burundi sitting at the bottom of Group E with one point from three matches, while Central African Republic on the third pace with 3pts, Morocco 2nd position with 4pts while Mauritania leading the table with 5pts.
The Swallows are expected to host the return leg this Sunday against Mauritania at the Intwari Stadium, Burundi last year made their first ever AFCON finals appearance despite being eliminated from the group stages.
Burundi’s Swallows got a boost with the return of its talisman after being suspended by the country’s football federation, Saido Ntibazonkiza proved to be the man the team missed with his recent master class goals against Tanzania and now Mauritania.
The 2021 AFCON is the 33rd edition of the African Cup of Nations the biennial international men’s football championship of Africa organized by Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The tournament is expected to be hosted in Cameroon, AFCON was originally scheduled to kick-off in June-July 2021 but CAF rescheduled it for January 2020 due to unfavorable climate conditions.
However in June 2020 CAF postponed the tournament for the third time to January 2022 following the COVID-19 pandemic that has led to more than one million people losing their lives worldwide.
TABLE STANDINGS
| Group A | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 GUINEA | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
 MALI | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
 NAMIBIA | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 3 |
 CHAD | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 0 |
| Group B | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 UGANDA | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
 BURKINA FASO | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
 MALAWI | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 3 |
 SOUTH SUDAN | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 0 |
| Group C | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 GHANA | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
 SOUTH AFRICA | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 3 |
 SUDAN | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
 SÃO TOMÉ E PRÍNCIPE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | -5 | 0 |
| Group D | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 GAMBIA | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
 GABON | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
 CONGO DR | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
 ANGOLA | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 0 |
| Group E | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 MAURITANIA | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
 MOROCCO | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
 CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
 BURUNDI | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | -5 | 1 |
| Group F | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 MOZAMBIQUE | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
 CAMEROON | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
 CAPE VERDE ISLANDS | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
 RWANDA | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
| Group G | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 COMOROS | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
 KENYA | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
 EGYPT | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
 TOGO | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 1 |
| Group H | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 ALGERIA | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
 ZIMBABWE | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
 BOTSWANA | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 1 |
 ZAMBIA | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | -6 | 0 |
| Group I | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 SENEGAL | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 9 |
 CONGO | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
 GUINEA-BISSAU | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 3 |
 ESWATINI | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | -6 | 0 |
| Group J | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 TUNISIA | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
 EQUATORIAL GUINEA | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 3 |
 LIBYA | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 8 | -3 | 3 |
 TANZANIA | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Group K | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 MADAGASCAR | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 6 |
 ETHIOPIA | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
 CÔTE D’IVOIRE | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
 NIGER | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | -5 | 0 |
| Group L | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 NIGERIA | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
 BENIN | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
 LESOTHO | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 1 |
 SIERRA LEONE | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 1 |