| Nickname(s) | Intamba Les Hirondelles The Chayfs (TheSwallows) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Fédération de Football du Burundi (FBF) (Ishirahamwe ry'umupira w'amaguru ry'Uburundi) | |||
| Confederation | CAF (Africa) | |||
| Sub-confederation | CECAFA (East & Central Africa) | |||
| Head coach | Patrick Sangwa | |||
| Captain | Frédéric Nsabiyumva | |||
| Mostcaps | Karim Nizigiyimana (66) | |||
| Top scorer | Fiston Abdul Razak (19) | |||
| Home stadium | Intwari Stadium | |||
| FIFA code | BDI | |||
| ||||
| FIFA ranking | ||||
| Current | 145 (19 November 2025)[1] | |||
| Highest | 96 (August 1993) | |||
| Lowest | 160 (July 1998) | |||
| First international | ||||
 Uganda 7–0Burundi  (Kampala, Uganda; 9 October 1964)[2] | ||||
| Biggest win | ||||
 Burundi 7–0Djibouti  (Bujumbura, Burundi; 11 March 2017) Burundi 8–1Seychelles  (Moroni, Comoros; 4 September 2021) | ||||
| Biggest defeat | ||||
 Congo 8–0Burundi  (Cameroon; 24 December 1977)[2] | ||||
| Africa Cup of Nations | ||||
| Appearances | 1 (first in2019) | |||
| Best result | Group stage (2019) | |||
| African Nations Championship | ||||
| Appearances | 1 (first in2014) | |||
| Best result | Group stage (2014) | |||
| CECAFA Cup | ||||
| Appearances | 14 (first in1999) | |||
| Best result | Runners-up (2004) | |||
TheBurundi national football team (Kirundi:Umurwi nserukira gihugu w'umupira w'amaguru w'u Burundi), nicknamedThe Swallows (French:Les Hirondelles;Kirundi:Intamba m'Urugamba), representsBurundi in internationalfootball and is controlled by theFootball Federation of Burundi. The team has never qualified for theFIFA World Cup. Burundi previously did come very close to qualifying for the1994 Africa Cup of Nations, losing only on penalties toGuinea in a playoff. However, in2019, it qualified for the first time in a major tournament, and took part in theAfrica Cup of Nations finals inGroup B, but lost all its matches and left from the group stage without scoring a single goal.
The Burundi football team was created in 1971 by theFootball Federation of Burundi. The Swallows' first match was in a1976 African Cup of Nations qualification match againstSomalia, which ended in a 2–0 victory. Following a 1–0 loss in the second leg, Burundi qualified to meet Egypt in the next round where they lost 5–0 on aggregate and were eliminated. It would be seventeen years before Burundi played another AFCON qualifying match. In their first twenty years, Burundi played in twenty fixtures and managed 6 wins, 2 draws and 12 defeats.
In 1992, Burundi entered the qualification rounds for the FIFA World Cup for the first time, but were eliminated in the first round following one win (1–0 againstGhana), one draw (0–0 againstAlgeria) and two losses in the reverse fixtures to finish bottom of the group. Burundi then finished joint top in their1994 African Cup of Nations qualification group however they lost their play-off match againstGuinea on penalties. Due to theBurundian Civil War, Burundi withdrew from the 1996 and 1998 AFCON qualifiers and, despite beatingSierra Leone 2–0 on aggregate and qualifying for the final round of the1998 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, they withdrew again.
Following successive withdrawals from the AFCON qualifiers, Burundi returned for the2000 competition, beatingTanzania in the preliminary rounds before finishing third in their group behindBurkina Faso andSenegal. In the 2002 qualifiers, Burundi again advanced to the group stages of qualification by beatingDjibouti (4–1), but finished last in their group with only two points. In 2004, Burundi performed even worse, collecting no points and finishing last behindSouth Africa andIvory Coast. In 2008 Burundi finished five points behind leadersEgypt and didn't make it through to the next round. In 2012 Burundi were even further adrift, finishing thirteen points behind group winnersIvory Coast. For the 2013 qualifiers, Burundi failed to advance due to away goals againstZimbabwe (2–2), and in 2015 they lost toBotswana (1–0) .
Burundi did not participate in the 2002 qualification process but re-entered in 2006, only to get knocked out byGabon in the first round (4–1). In 2010, Burundi managed two victories, both againstSeychelles but failed to go through behindBurkina Faso andTunisia. The 2006 and 2010 qualifiers doubled as qualification for the FIFA World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations. The following qualification cycle, Burundi were eliminated byLesotho in the first round (3–2).
.jpg)
After falling in the second qualifying round for the2018 FIFA World Cup againstDR Congo, Burundi focused on convincingGaël Bigirimana andSaido Berahino to come and play for the selection, both playing in Europe (forHibernian andStoke City respectively). Both players agreed and Berahino scored on his debut to earn the team a 1–1 draw againstGabon. In March 2019, in the final group game, Burundi played a decisive match against Gabon needing only one point to qualify. The match ended in a draw (1–1), with a goal fromCédric Amissi earning Burundi their first opportunity to play in the Africa Cup of Nations. Burundi lost all three of their matches at the2019 Africa Cup of Nations, failing to register a single goal.
Traditionally, the Burundi team wears the three colours of its flag: red, green and white.
During these beginnings, Burundi is equipped byErreà, an Italian sports brand. In 2012, he signed a contract withAdidas for a period of 10 years. Despite this long-term contract with Adidas, Burundi is committed in 2018 withNike. She even signs a contract withLumitel (a phone brand).
The Burundi team have played most of their matches inBujumbura at theIntwari Stadium. The second match in its history, Burundi is playing its first home match against Somalia (3–0 victory). The Prince Louis Rwagasore stadium is home toVital'O FC andPrince Louis FC, as well as the national team. The stadium has been renovated several times, notably in March 2018, due to a flooded pitch.
During the matches at the Prince Louis Rwagasore stadium, the Burundian supporters are often outnumbered, in particular because of the rather low capacity of the stadium (10,000 seats) for around 13,000 spectators. Just like the players, the supporters dress in red, green and white and bring the flag of the country. During the match in March 2019 against Gabon, the authorities have made additional seats available because of the lack of space in the stands.
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
v Burundi| 18 November2025 AFCON qualification | Senegal | 2–0 | Burundi | Dakar, Senegal |
| 14:00 UTC+0 |
| Report | Stadium:Diamniadio Olympic Stadium Referee:Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria) |
v
Ivory Coast| 21 March2026 World Cup qualification | Burundi | 0–1 | Ivory Coast | Meknes, Morocco |
| 20:00 UTC+1 | Report (FIFA) Report (CAF) |
| Stadium:Honneur Stadium Referee: Samir Guezzaz (Morocco) |
v Seychelles| 25 March2026 World Cup qualification | Burundi | 5–0 | Seychelles | Meknes, Morocco |
| 20:00 UTC+1 | Report (FIFA) Report (CAF) | Stadium:Honneur Stadium Referee: Youcef Gamouh (Algeria) |
v Burundi| 5 September2026 World Cup qualification | Ivory Coast | 1-0 | Burundi | Abidjan, Ivory Coast |
| 19:00 UTC+0 | Report (FIFA) Report (CAF) | Stadium:Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium Referee:Bouchra Karboubi (Morocco) |
v Burundi| 9 September2026 World Cup qualification | Gambia | 2-0 | Burundi | Nairobi, Kenya |
| 22:00 UTC+3 | Report (FIFA) Report (CAF) | Stadium:Nyayo National Stadium Referee: Mohamed Maarouf Eid Mansour (Egypt) |
v
Kenya| October2026 World Cup qualification | Burundi | v | Kenya |
v Burundi| October2026 World Cup qualification | Gabon | v | Burundi |
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head Coach |  Patrick Sangwa Mayani |
| Assistant Coach | Philippe Habimana |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Abdoul Ndizeye |
| Match Analyst | Auguste Nduwimana |
| Fitness Coach | Antoine Nshimiyimana |
| Doctors | Dr. Gauthier Ndayambaje Dr. Laurent Ngabonziza |
| Physiotherapists | Baudouin Niyomukiza Gervayi Ngendahayo André Ndayishimiye Flavien Niyigena |
| Team Coordinator | Selemani Ndikumana |
| Technical Director | Olivier Niyungeko |
Nikolay Yefimov (Until 1991)Baudouin Ribakare (1992)
Aleksandr Rakitsky (1993–1996)Baudouin Ribakare (1997–2004)
Adel Amrouche (2007–2012)
Lofty Naseem (2012–2014)
Rainer Willfeld (2014–2015)Ahcene Aït-Abdelmalek (2015–2016)Olivier Niyungeko (2016–2019)Joslin Bipfubusa (2020)Jimmy Ndayizeye (2020–2022)Etienne Ndayiragije (2023–2024)Patrick Sangwa Mayani (2024-present)The following players were called up to the preliminary squad for the2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches againstIvory Coast andSeychelles on 21 and 25 March 2025.[4]
Caps and goals are correct as of 29 December 2024, after the match againstUganda.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1GK | Jonathan Nahimana | (1999-12-12)12 December 1999 (age 25) | 39 | 0 |  Namungo |
| 16 | 1GK | Mattéo Nkurunziza | (2004-06-02)2 June 2004 (age 21) | 5 | 0 |  RWD Molenbeek |
| 23 | 1GK | Onésime Rukundo | (1999-04-09)9 April 1999 (age 26) | 14 | 0 |  Police |
| 1GK | Aladin Bizimana | (2000-04-01)1 April 2000 (age 25) | 1 | 0 | Union Saint-Gilloise U23 | |
| 3 | 2DF | Marco Weymans | (1997-07-09)9 July 1997 (age 28) | 10 | 0 | Beerschot |
| 13 | 2DF | Kevin Icoyitungiye | (2004-11-21)21 November 2004 (age 21) | 2 | 0 | Aigle Noir |
| 15 | 2DF | Omar Moussa | (1997-08-30)30 August 1997 (age 28) | 21 | 0 | Gorilla |
| 18 | 2DF | Claus Niyukuri | (2000-02-13)13 February 2000 (age 25) | 2 | 0 |  Haugesund |
| 19 | 2DF | Frédéric Nsabiyumva(captain) | (1995-04-26)26 April 1995 (age 30) | 48 | 1 |  Västerås |
| 22 | 2DF | Christophe Nduwarugira | (1994-06-22)22 June 1994 (age 31) | 48 | 6 |  Borneo Samarinda |
| 2DF | Keita Bukuru | (2005-04-05)5 April 2005 (age 20) | 10 | 0 | Aigle Noir | |
| 2DF | Derrick Mukombozi | (1999-04-26)26 April 1999 (age 26) | 8 | 0 | Namungo | |
| 2 | 3MF | Henry Msanga | (2001-08-24)24 August 2001 (age 24) | 4 | 0 | Police |
| 6 | 3MF | Trésor Mossi | (2001-08-28)28 August 2001 (age 24) | 9 | 0 |  Sumgayit |
| 8 | 3MF | Elie Mokono | (1994-02-23)23 February 1994 (age 31) | 10 | 1 | Singida Fountain Gate |
| 10 | 3MF | Shassiri Nahimana | (1993-08-05)5 August 1993 (age 32) | 46 | 2 | Pamba |
| 11 | 3MF | Jordi Liongola | (2000-05-17)17 May 2000 (age 25) | 11 | 0 | La Louvière |
| 14 | 3MF | Youssouf Ndayishimiye | (1998-10-27)27 October 1998 (age 27) | 25 | 1 |  Nice |
| 20 | 3MF | Parfait Bizoza | (1999-03-03)3 March 1999 (age 26) | 0 | 0 | Haugesund |
| 21 | 3MF | Abedi Bigirimana | (2002-01-01)1 January 2002 (age 23) | 19 | 4 | Police |
| 3MF | Akbar Muderi | (2003-04-28)28 April 2003 (age 22) | 11 | 1 | Gasogi United | |
| 3MF | Moussa Madjaliwa | (1992-04-12)12 April 1992 (age 33) | 7 | 0 | Rayon Sports | |
| 3MF | Léonard Gakwaya | (2002-06-01)1 June 2002 (age 23) | 1 | 0 | Bugesera | |
| 3MF | Richard Ndayishimiye | (2004-01-01)1 January 2004 (age 21) | 0 | 0 | Rayon Sports | |
| 4 | 4FW | Pacifique Niyongabire | (2000-03-15)15 March 2000 (age 25) | 10 | 1 |  Tampa Bay Rowdies |
| 5 | 4FW | Mohamed Amissi | (2000-08-03)3 August 2000 (age 25) | 23 | 0 | Modern Sport |
| 7 | 4FW | Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana | (1997-11-21)21 November 1997 (age 28) | 22 | 5 | USM Alger |
| 9 | 4FW | Sudi Abdallah | (2000-01-05)5 January 2000 (age 25) | 10 | 3 | Persijap Jepara |
| 12 | 4FW | Bienvenue Kanakimana | (1999-12-28)28 December 1999 (age 25) | 21 | 3 |  Zbrojovka Brno |
| 17 | 4FW | Jean-Claude Girumugisha | (2004-09-18)18 September 2004 (age 21) | 10 | 1 |  Al Hilal |
| 4FW | Beltran Mvuka | (1998-10-10)10 October 1998 (age 27) | 0 | 0 | Sandefjord | |
| 4FW | Vancy Mabanza | (2000-11-27)27 November 2000 (age 24) | 0 | 0 | Patro Eisden | |
| 4FW | Eddy Nibibona | (2001-12-28)28 December 2001 (age 23) | 0 | 0 | Rukinzo | |
The following players have been called up for Burundi in the last 12 months.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DF | Samuel Ndizeye | (1998-02-28)28 February 1998 (age 27) | 0 | 0 | Police | v. Burkina Faso; 13 October 2024 |
| MF | Saidi Ntibazonkiza | (1987-05-01)1 May 1987 (age 38) | 31 | 13 | Simba | v. Burkina Faso; 13 October 2024 |
| MF | Abdourahmani Rukundo | (1999-05-07)7 May 1999 (age 26) | 0 | 0 | Amagaju | v. Burkina Faso; 13 October 2024 |
| MF | Elvis Kamsoba | (1996-06-27)27 June 1996 (age 29) | 9 | 0 |  Balzan | v. Senegal; 9 September 2024 |
| FW | Hussein Shabani | (1990-06-26)26 June 1990 (age 35) | 29 | 2 | AS Kigali | v. Burkina Faso; 13 October 2024 |
| FW | Richard Kirongozi Bazombwa | (2000-06-13)13 June 2000 (age 25) | 6 | 0 | Police | v. Burkina Faso; 13 October 2024 |
DEC Player refused to join the team after the call-up. | ||||||
| Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karim Nizigiyimana | 66 | 0 | 2004–2023 |
| 2 | Cédric Amissi | 56 | 10 | 2009–2023 |
| 3 | Fiston Abdul Razak | 53 | 19 | 2009–present |
| Christophe Nduwarugira | 53 | 7 | 2012–present | |
| 5 | Frédéric Nsabiyumva | 52 | 1 | 2013–present |
| 6 | Gaël Duhayindavyi | 50 | 2 | 2011–2019 |
| Shassiri Nahimana | 50 | 2 | 2013–present | |
| 8 | Hassan Hakizimana | 46 | 1 | 2007–2014 |
| Pierre Kwizera | 46 | 3 | 2009–2019 | |
| 10 | Jonathan Nahimana | 45 | 0 | 2017–present |
| Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fiston Abdul Razak | 19 | 53 | 0.36 | 2009–present |
| 2 | Saidi Ntibazonkiza | 13 | 36 | 0.36 | 2004–present |
| 3 | Selemani Ndikumana | 12 | 33 | 0.36 | 2003–2019 |
| 4 | Banga Lewis Kubi | 11 | 16 | 0.69 | 1998–2004 |
| 5 | Cédric Amissi | 10 | 56 | 0.18 | 2009–2023 |
| 6 | Jospin Nshimirimana | 8 | 14 | 0.57 | 2020–present |
| Papa Claude Nahimana | 8 | 29 | 0.28 | 2007–2013 | |
| 8 | Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana | 7 | 27 | 0.26 | 2017–present |
| Christophe Nduwarugira | 7 | 53 | 0.13 | 2012–present | |
| 10 | Amissi Tambwe | 6 | 25 | 0.24 | 2011–2020 |
| FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | |
| 1930 to1962 | Part of Belgium | Part of Belgium | |||||||||||||
| 1966 and1970 | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | |||||||||||||
| 1974 to1990 | Did not enter | Declined participation | |||||||||||||
| 1994 | Did not qualify | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||
 1998 | Withdrew during qualifying | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||||||
  2002 | Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||
| 2006 | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||
 2010 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 9 | |||||||||
 2014 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||
| 2018 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 6 | |||||||||
 2022 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
  2026 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 13 | |||||||||
   2030 | To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||
 2034 | |||||||||||||||
| Total | 0/13 | 32 | 10 | 6 | 16 | 32 | 41 | ||||||||
| Africa Cup of Nations record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA |
 1957 to 1962 | Part of Belgium | |||||||
 1963 to 1972 | Not affiliated to CAF | |||||||
 1974 | Did not enter | |||||||
 1976 | Did not qualify | |||||||
| 1978 | Did not enter | |||||||
 1980 | Withdrew | |||||||
 1982 to1992 | Did not enter | |||||||
 1994 | Did not qualify | |||||||
| 1996 | Did not enter | |||||||
| 1998 | Withdrew | |||||||
| 2000 to2017 | Did not qualify | |||||||
| 2019 | Group stage | 22nd | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
 2021 | Did not qualify | |||||||
| 2023 | ||||||||
| 2025 | ||||||||
| 2027 | To be determined | |||||||
 2029 | ||||||||
| Total | Group stage | 1/35 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| African Nations Championship record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appearances: 1 | ||||||||
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA |
| 2009 | Did not qualify | |||||||
| 2011 | ||||||||
| 2014 | Group stage | 10th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| 2016 | Did not qualify | |||||||
| 2018 | ||||||||
| 2020 | ||||||||
| 2022 | ||||||||
| Total | Group stage | 1/7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
Runners-up (1):2004| National teams |
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League system |
| ||||
| Domestic cups |
| ||||
| Awards | |||||
| Lists | |||||
| International Competitions | |
|---|---|
| Club Competitions | |
| Current members | |
| National Teams | |
| North Africa (UNAF) | |
|---|---|
| West Africa (WAFU) | |
| East Africa (CECAFA) | |
| Central Africa (UNIFFAC) | |
| Southern Africa (COSAFA) | |
| Non-regional Members | |
