Burundi host Algeria in AFCON 2027 qualifier as Abdelli forced off injured
Burundi hosted Algeria on Tuesday, September 29, at Stade Intwari in Bujumbura for Matchday 2 of Group I in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, with Algeria midfielder Himad Abdelli substituted through injury.
Background
After Matchday 1, Algeria and Togo both had three points, while Burundi and Zambia sat on zero. Burundi lost 1-0 away to Togo in Lomé, with Karim Dermane scoring the only goal in the 17th minute from a Zuberu Sharani assist; Elie Mokono came close to an equalizer in the 50th minute when his long-range effort struck the crossbar. Algeria, meanwhile, beat Zambia 3-1 at home: Jaouen Hadjam opened the scoring after just two minutes, Fashion Sakala equalized for Zambia in the 57th minute, before Ibrahim Maza (67th minute, assisted by Mohamed Amine Amoura) and Anis Hadj-Moussa (74th minute) sealed the win.
Group I contains none of the three automatically qualified host nations (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda), so only the top two teams after six matchdays will qualify directly for the finals.
The match in Bujumbura
The second-round fixture was played on Tuesday, September 29, at Stade Intwari in Bujumbura. Sources differ slightly on kick-off time: beIN Sports lists 9:00 AM ET (roughly 3:00 PM local time), while Sportsgambler cites a 16:00 kick-off. Ahead of the match, Algeria head coach Ibrahim Hamdani told a Monday press conference: "We know the Burundi national team very well, and we've analyzed them thoroughly," adding that although Algeria had beaten Burundi before, the game would be tough given it was being played on Burundi's home turf in front of their fans. Hamdani also said the artificial pitch would not be an issue, as his players had experience on such surfaces.
Burundi lined up in a 4-4-2 (goalkeeper Jonathan Nahimana), while Algeria fielded a 4-2-3-1 (goalkeeper Melvin Mastil).
Match statistics
According to BBC's match data, Algeria dominated possession (70.6% to Burundi's 29.4%) and completed far more passes (541 to 215) with higher accuracy (88% to 70.7%). Burundi, however, were slightly more prolific in attack, registering 10 shots to Algeria's 9, with both sides managing 2 shots on target, and led comfortably in corners, 6 to 1. Algeria made more clearances, 27 to Burundi's 16.
Injury concern
As reported by YSscores, Algeria and Marseille midfielder Himad Abdelli sustained an injury and did not finish the first half, being replaced by Adem Zorgane. The nature and severity of the injury were not yet known, with assessment by Algeria's medical staff expected after the match.
Predictions
Before kick-off, bookmakers rated Algeria the clear favourite, with odds of 1.23 for an Algeria win compared to 11.00 for Burundi. Sportsgambler predicted a 1-0 Algeria win, while also noting that Burundi had covered a +1.75 Asian handicap line in five straight home matches, recommending a bet on Burundi to cover that handicap.
