Former Newcastle midfielder Gael Bigirimana is waiting for his first encounter with the Harambee Stars with bated breath even as he anticipates a competitive game when Kenya hosts Burundi on Friday at the Bingu National Stadium in Malawi.Since making his debut for the Burundi national football team in 2015, Bigirimana, who is regarded as one of the most successful midfielders from the CECAFA region, has never come up against Harambee Stars either in a friendly or a competitive match.There is a huge possibility of Bigirimana getting a taste of what a match pitting Kenya against Burundi feels like, when the two nations clash on Friday in a 2026 World Cup Qualifier match, as the experienced midfielder is in the Swallows squad.##NAJAVA_MECA_8142479##Currently plying trade in North Ireland with Dungannon Swifts, Bigirimana admits that his knowledge of the Harambee Stars team and players is modest, but he expects a fiercely contested affair.”I have never interacted with any of the current Kenyan national football team players but I at least know several of their members play abroad. I have never been involved in a game against Kenya but I have gathered sufficient information from my teammates on the kind of players we will come up against. I expect the game to be very competitive, “the former Yanga midfielder told Mozzart Sport in an exclusive interview.The last time the two sides met, Kenya edged Burundi 1-0, during a 2017 CECAFA Senior Challenge semifinal clash staged at the Moi Stadium, Kisumu where former AFC Leopards midfielder Whyvonne Isuza scored the match-winner.Elneny leaves Arsenal – the French and the Turks want him, his homeland is also an optionAhead of the Friday clash, the odds appear stacked heavily against Burundi if the results in the past four matches are anything to go by so are the FIFA standings as well as head-to-head record.Burundi haven’t won in their last four assignments and have a single win to show for in their last six meetings against Harambee Stars.However, Bigirimana says, the Swallows head to the encounter ‘looking promising’ given the ground, the nation has covered in recent years and the emergence of young talents who play professional football outside Burundi.”I am pleased with the quality of players in our team. There are budding players who are good enough to get the job done. They have brought in more hunger for success. I am liking their confidence levels and desire to see the team get positive results. Things are really promising for the Burundian team,” said the former Coventry player.Since his national team debut nine years ago, Bigirimana has never opened his goal account but, he says he doesn’t mind doing it against Harambee Stars if the opportunity presents itself.”I don’t play to score goals but help the team win matches. If I get the chance to do it against Kenya, I will gladly do so although my core wish remains inspiring the team to a win,” said the former Motherwell midfielder.World Cup chances for Kenya and Burundi Pundits opine that African champions, Ivory Coast, are clear favorites to emerge top in Group F and book direct ticket to the finals that, will be jointly staged in the United States of America, Canada and Mexico.However, Bigirimana habours contrasting views and opinions as he believes both Kenya and Burundi have a solid chance and the ingredients to qualify.On paper, it appears a tall order for the two East African countries but Bigirimana is a firm believer in football miracles and the underdogs getting their act together and ultimately, laying hands on the tickets.”Nearly everyone is giving Ivory Coast a chance and rightly so considering the quality and experience they have. However, the levels of African football have shot up and the gap between the teams originally described as giants and smaller ones has decreased significantly. All the teams in the group have equal chance,” he said.Besides Kenya, Burundi and Ivory Coast, Group F has Gabon, The Gambia and Seychelles as well.Possibility of Kenya and Burundi returning to 2025 AFCON finals The two countries last featured in the continental tournament in 2019 held in Egypt.The tournament marked Kenya’s fourth appearance in the biennial showpiece while it was Burundi’s maiden.CAF announces key changes to interclub comeptitions ahead of new seasonBigirimana, who was part of the Swallows squad that debuted in the 2019 edition, is confident the kind of talent the two countries continue to churn out and attract is good enough to earn tickets to the 2025 finals in Morocco.”It’s a shame that we both missed the past two editions in Cameroon and Ivory Coast. We were in the same qualifier group for the last edition but unfortunately, Kenya didn’t participate. We came close to getting the ticket to Ivory Coast and Kenya is also making hood steps as well. East African countries need regular appearances in the tournament for the growth of the game in the region,” said the 30-year-old.What Africa needs to do to catch up?While Bigirimana maintains that the rift of class between African and European football has reduced, he reveals the major area clubs should work on to fully bridge the gap and professionalizing the game in the continent.Bigirimana, who relocated to England as a refugee in 2004, singled out the late introduction of football to kids aspiring to be footballers as the difference between African players and their European and South American counterparts.Sebastian Haller leads Ivory Coast’s star-studded squad against Harambee StarsThe former Hibernian midfielder advocates for more professionally run academies as the best way of strengthening African leagues and having more players in the revered competitions outside the region.”African players are one of the most technically gifted in the world. They are so natural and work very hard. With these qualities, you expect African countries to easily win the World Cup but this has not been the case. Reason? Our players are introduced to the game late and thus end up missing the most important aspects of football that ought to be taught when young and in academies, “he gave his honest observation.Bigirimana went on to reveal what players miss out on if they are introduced to the game late unlike in Europe where aspiring footballers are Scouted at a tender age and are handled by qualified experts.“A player can be technically good but can’t concentrate from the first whistle to the last. One can be good on the ball but extremely poor off it. If we have academies all over the place run and managed by professionals, we will surely fix the problem. In Europe, they start early and this is what makes the difference between our football and theirs,” he opened up.Why national teammates call him PastorOuma over the moon after season success in TanzaniaMozzart Sport reached out to a handful of Burundian internationals who disclosed that they often refer to the midfield maestro as Pastor.Bigirimana, a staunch Christian, attributed the moniker to his faith and the zeal in which he spreads the word during his free time.”I do read and share the word of God whenever I am free. I will never shy from proclaiming my faith and I think this is reason they call me pastor. After all it’s not a bad nickname,” he joked.
