Togo and Burundi begin Africa Cup of Nations qualifying with first-ever meeting

The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign begins in Group I with a strategically important encounter between Togo and Burundi at Stade de Kegue in Lome on Friday, 25 September 2026.

Kick-off is scheduled for 19:00 GMT, with both sides aware that a positive start will be important in a group that also contains Algeria and Zambia. The match will be broadcast by beIN Sports, Canal+ Afrique, SuperSport and SABC Sport.

This will be the first meeting between the senior national teams of Togo and Burundi. They have never faced one another in either a competitive fixture or a friendly, meaning the opening round of qualifying will also mark the first chapter in their footballing history.

Togo arrive in stronger form

Togo’s recent results have provided encouragement since Patrice Neveu took charge. The Eperviers are unbeaten in their past four friendly matches, drawing 2-2 with Guinea and 1-1 with Central African Republic before recording victories against Niger and Benin.

Those wins came by 1-0 against Niger and 5-1 against Benin. The sequence has given Togo confidence, particularly in attack, as they prepare to begin their qualifying campaign on home soil.

Vincent Bossou’s warning to Togo ahead of Burundi is summed up by the message: “We need the three points.”

Burundi, meanwhile, arrive in Lome with a less consistent recent record. Their most convincing run came in the Africa Cup of Nations preliminary round in March, when they defeated Chad 4-0 in both the first leg and the return fixture.

However, Patrick Sangwa’s side have had fewer opportunities to build momentum since then. They were beaten 5-0 by Morocco in a friendly in May and have not played a competitive match since, leaving them needing to rediscover their rhythm quickly.

Prediction and match odds

Togo’s home advantage and more consistent recent performances make them slight favourites for the opening fixture. Their attacking form could prove decisive as they attempt to break down a Burundi defence that will be under pressure from the start.

Africafoot’s prediction is a 2-1 victory for Togo.

The betting odds listed for the match are 1.57 for a Togo win, 3.65 for a draw and 6.40 for a Burundi victory.