The President of the Football Federation of Burundi (FFB) Alexandre Muyenge has thanked FIFA for its “fruitful collaboration” during a visit to the Home of FIFA in Zurich, Switzerland, where he had various meetings, including with the technical and women’s football departments. “It’s the very first time that I’ve come to the FIFA headquarters. So for me, it’s a feeling of joy and satisfaction,” said Mr Muyenge, who was first elected in December 2021. He said that FIFA and the FFB have enjoyed “a very fruitful collaboration” in the last few years. “This can be seen through the implementation of projects, and the FFB has helped turn (FIFA) President (Gianni) Infantino’s visions into a reality as well,” he explained.

The main project has seen the Intwari Stadium (Stadium of Heroes) in Bujumbura renovated with a new artificial pitch and floodlighting thanks to FIFA Forward funding, so it is now able to host senior women’s and men’s international matches again.

The first games at the new-look stadium were FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup™ qualifiers in September 2025 followed by a FIFA World Cup 2026™ qualifier against Kenya the following month, Burundi having played previous home fixtures in Tanzania or Morocco. The Intwari project had national government collaboration led by President Évariste Ndayishimiye. “FIFA has contributed a great deal to this project. Now, we are proud to play on home turf, because we have just spent at least five years playing matches in various competitions elsewhere,” Mr Muyenge said. “Every single person is proud of this stadium, from the government authorities to the people on the street, because it creates such an atmosphere, and the fans are part of that too. Because, as we always say, the fans are like having a 12th player.”

The FFB has also joined the FIFA Talent Development Scheme, which is designed to help FIFA Member Associations (MAs) improve talent spotting and development so that they can fulfil their potential. It is one of 58 MAs globally and one of 18 in Africa to have Active Talent Coach, and a FIFA Talent Academy established at FIFA Forward-supported Ngagara National Technical Centre. “In a few years, our national teams will have made significant progress,” Mr Muyenge said. In another sign of the FFB’s collaboration with FIFA, Burundi was the 100th country to implement FIFA’s Football for Schools programme in a ceremony held in the Urunani Stadium in Buganda, outside Bujumbura, in October 2023 and attended by FIFA President Infantino and Mr Muyenge.