Founded after the second world war in 1948, the Burundi national football team is an international minnow. In 1972, the association affiliated to both the Confederation of African Football and FIFA.
The Republic of Burundi is a small country in eastern Africa. One of the poorest countries in the world, Burundi is densely populated and suffers from extreme health problems. Football is a popular sport, helping locals escape poverty and political issues for a few hours.
Burundi played its first international in 1971, some two decades after forming. The match against Tanzania was not a success and resulted in a 4-1 defeat. However, the team progressed quickly and gained a record win just five years later. Playing at home, Burundi beat Rwanda 6-2.
The team did not enter a world cup until the 1994 competition. The tournament was Burundi’s only real attempt at qualifying for ten years. Although they entered both the 1998 and 2004 competitions, the team withdrew before completing the first rounds. Burundi has played a part in the last three world cups.
Ranked 128th in the FIFA Rankings, Burundi are riding high as a result of consistency, but perhaps not results.
World cup 2018
Fixtures to be announced.
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