Burundi star Gael Bigirimana believes going to Egypt for their first time would not put them under intense pressure as they have nothing to lose playing against Nigeria, Madagascar and Guinea in Group B of the 2019 AFCON in Egypt.
Bigirimana who fled Burundi 15 years ago helped his native country to berth in Egypt in March after playing 1-1 draw against Gabon in their final qualifying match told FIFA website, that making it to Egypt would heal a lot of would in Burundi.
“Burundi doesn’t have the capacity – we’re not a strong nation financially – to compete with sides like Mali and Gabon in our qualifying group. It was against all odds. For us, it was more than just qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations; for me, that was just a bonus.
It was about hope. Bringing hope to a nation whose people has not had something to look forward to for so long. Football is such a powerful tool that can change things,” Bigirimana said.
He added: “We’ll be underdogs at the Africa Cup of Nations, no doubt about that, but, being a small nation, we’ve got nothing to lose. There are no expectations for us to go win the cup. We’re just going to go and be fearless.”
