Burundi surrendered a two-goal lead but held Algeria to a 2-2 draw in Bujumbura on Tuesday, earning its first point of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign after a fast start that briefly put the visitors under serious pressure.
Playing before a home crowd at Intwari Stadium, Burundi stunned Algeria inside the opening 12 minutes, taking advantage of defensive errors to establish a 2-0 lead in Group I.
Algeria responded through Mohamed Belloumi before halftime and Adil Boulbina’s second-half strike completed the comeback, leaving both teams with a point.
The result keeps Algeria unbeaten after two qualifying matches, with four points from its opening two games. Burundi, which lost 1-0 to Togo in its opening fixture, moved onto one point.
Burundi strikes twice in 12 minutes
Burundi took the lead in the fifth minute when Algeria midfielder Farès Chaïbi’s attempted back pass ended up in his own net.
The home side doubled its advantage seven minutes later. Jean Claude Girumugisha capitalized on another defensive mistake before beating goalkeeper Melvin Mastil to make it 2-0.
The early goals transformed the atmosphere at Intwari Stadium and put Algeria, which had opened its campaign with a 3-1 victory over Zambia, on the back foot.
Algeria eventually reduced the deficit in the 30th minute through Belloumi. The forward took advantage of uncertainty in the Burundi defense to make it 2-1.
Burundi went into halftime still holding the lead.
Match statistics showed Algeria controlled much of the possession but struggled to turn that control into clear opportunities. Soccerway recorded 70% possession for Algeria against 30% for Burundi, while the hosts registered 13 shots to Algeria’s 11.
Boulbina restores parity
Algeria continued pushing after the break and found the equalizer in the 63rd minute.
Adil Boulbina produced the decisive moment, scoring from outside the area to bring Algeria level at 2-2.
Burundi nevertheless remained dangerous and had opportunities to reclaim the lead. Neither side could find a third goal, however, and the match ended 2-2.
For Algeria, the draw marked its first dropped points of the qualifying campaign. For Burundi, it was a point gained against a side that entered the match after a convincing opening-round victory over Zambia.
A missed opportunity for Burundi
The draw leaves Burundi with one point from two matches after its opening defeat to Togo.
The result also means the Burundian side will have to look beyond the single point gained in Bujumbura and focus on converting strong periods of play into victories as the Group I campaign continues.
Algeria, meanwhile, leaves Bujumbura with four points from two matches after recovering from two goals down. CAF described the result as Algeria’s first dropped points of the campaign while noting that the team remained unbeaten after two matches.
The 2027 AFCON finals will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
