Alexandre Muyenge, President of the Football Federation of Burundi (FFB), has praised his organisation's relationship with FIFA following his first-ever visit to the Home of FIFA in Zurich, Switzerland. During the trip, he held meetings with FIFA's 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 Muyenge, who was first elected to lead the FFB in December 2021. He described the partnership between the two bodies as "a very fruitful collaboration" over recent years.

Stadium renovation transforms Burundi's home fixtures

The centrepiece of that collaboration has been the renovation of the Intwari Stadium — known in English as the Stadium of Heroes — in Bujumbura. Using funding from the FIFA Forward Programme, the venue received a new artificial pitch and modern floodlighting, restoring its capacity to host senior men's and women's international matches.

The upgraded stadium staged its first competitive fixtures in September 2025, when FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup qualifiers were held there, followed by a FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier against Kenya the following month. Before the renovation, Burundi had been forced to play home matches in Tanzania or Morocco.

The project was carried out in partnership with the Burundian national government, 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," Muyenge said. He added that pride in the stadium extends across society — from government officials to ordinary citizens — and that the fans themselves act as a 12th player.

Talent development and Football for Schools

Beyond infrastructure, the FFB has enrolled in the FIFA Talent Development Scheme, a global programme designed to help member associations identify and nurture players to their full potential. Burundi is one of 58 FIFA Member Associations worldwide — and one of 18 on the African continent — to have an Active Talent Coach and a FIFA Talent Academy in place, based at the FIFA Forward-supported Ngagara National Technical Centre.

"In a few years, our national teams will have made significant progress," Muyenge said, pointing to the scheme as a long-term investment in Burundian football.

The FFB's ties with FIFA deepened further in October 2023, when Burundi became the 100th country to implement FIFA's Football for Schools programme. The milestone ceremony took place at the Urunani Stadium in Buganda, on the outskirts of Bujumbura, and was attended by FIFA President Gianni Infantino alongside Muyenge himself.