Burundi v Algeria: Fennecs face early test in CAN 2027 qualifying

Algeria travel to Bujumbura to face Burundi on Tuesday in the second round of CAN 2027 qualifying, with Brahim Hemdani seeking a second win in his first matches as national team manager.

The Fennecs began their campaign with a 3-1 victory over Zambia, Hemdani’s first match in charge. They now face a Burundi side looking to recover from a 1-0 defeat by Togo in their opening fixture.

Kick-off is at 15:00 local time in Burundi and in France, which is 14:00 in Algeria. The match will be shown on beIN Sports 2 in France. Viewers in Algeria can watch on ENTV or beIN Sports 2 Mena, while Canal+ will broadcast the game in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa.

Burundi created chances against Togo but were denied by an inspired performance from goalkeeper Malcolm Barcola, who made five saves. Patrick Sangwa’s side are aiming to qualify for the CAN for only the second time, having previously appeared at the tournament in 2019.

Nice midfielder Youssouf Ndayishimiye is regarded as Burundi’s main star. The squad also includes Mossi Nduwumwe, who plays for MC Alger.

Algeria arrive with an impressive away record. The Fennecs have not lost on the road in CAN and World Cup qualifying since November 2018. However, the trip presents several challenges, including a long journey, a synthetic pitch and a match scheduled in the afternoon, when temperatures could reach about 30C.

Hemdani must also manage a number of changes and distractions following the opening-day win. Rayan Ait-Nouri was sent off for “indiscipline”, creating controversy around his exclusion.

Amine Gouiri will also be unavailable after suffering an injury against Zambia and returning to his club, OM. Amin Chiakha and Monsef Bakrar are competing to lead the attack in his absence.

There is also a decision to make on the right wing, where Anis Hadj Moussa and Mohamed Bachir Belloumi are in contention. Saadi Radouani, who struggled in Friday’s match, could lose his place at right-back.

Luca Zidane and Rafik Belghali are suspended, while Nabil Bentaleb is ruled out. Algeria will therefore need to negotiate a reshaped line-up as they attempt to maintain their strong start to Hemdani’s tenure and extend their unbeaten away run in qualifying.