At the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Tuesday afternoon, Burundi defeated Namibia 3-2 to boost its chances of qualifying for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Abedi Bigirimana scored the game’s first goal just moments after kickoff, and then Hussein Shabani and Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana gave Etienne Ndayiragije’s team a 3-0 lead within of the first 20 minutes.

Prior to their crucial matchup in September, the Swallows moved level with Cameroon on four points thanks to a late goal from Wendell Rudath and a comeback by the Brave Warriors’ Peter Shalulile.

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After defeating the Indomitable Lions in their last encounter to grab the lead with one game remaining in Group C, the Southern Africans sought to clinch the top spot.

But Bigirimana scored on the rebound after Bimenyimana had struck the right post from close range in the game’s first minute to give Burundi the lead.

After four minutes, Joslin Kamatuka’s right-footed drive from inside the box forced Onesime Rukundo to make a stop at his near post. The visitors searched for a quick reaction.

After Shabani headed the ball into his path, Bimenyimana tucked the ball past Edward Maova from inside the 18-yard box, making things worse just five minutes later.

In the 17th minute, Shabani threatened from a corner with a header that just missed the right post. However, he was celebrating moments later after defeating Maova with a long-range goal to give the home team the lead.

Shalulile’s precise finish from inside the box gave the Brave Warriors a chance to equalize four minutes before halftime. They would go on to dominate possession in the first half.

Soon after, Bigirimana was on the end of a cross from Shabani, but his header bounced off the right post instead of going in. Bigirimana was just inches away from getting his name back on the scoresheet.

Early in the second half, Bigirimana and Bimenyimana both narrowly missed the goal with their respective shots, while Bethuel Muzeu forced a superb stop from Rukundo after attempting a long-range shot on 56 minutes.

The Swallows swiftly moved to the opposite end of the field, where Bigirimana tested Maova with a close-range header. On the 71st minute, the goalkeeper also needed to be on his toes to deny Shabani from inside the box.

However, Namibia never gave up, and they were rewarded for their perseverance on the 85th minute when Rudath smashed a shot from distance into the top right corner of the goal to set up a suspenseful conclusion to the game.
With just under 20 minutes remaining in regulation, the Walia Ibex again presented a threat when substitute forward Yusuf Tarekgen drove into the penalty area and sent a shot on goal, but Munthali easily saved the shot.

The goalkeeper immediately found himself in crucial action once more, intercepting Belay’s low left-side cross as the “hosts” kept up their offensive onslaught.

However, neither end of the field saw any more clear opportunities, and the game ended in a scoreless draw that eliminated both clubs.

In September, dead-rubber matches between Egypt and Ethiopia and Malawi and Guinea will conclude Group D.