UGANDA CUBS EARN AFCON TICKET WITH
DOMINANT WIN OVER SOMALIA
The Uganda U-17 national football team, the Cubs, has earned a spot in the 2025 TotalEnergies CAF U-17
Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Coached by Brian Ssenyondo, Uganda secured their qualification by defeating Somalia 4-1 in the semifinals of the ongoing Zonal CECAFA qualifiers in Kampala on Tuesday. Abubakali Walusimbi gave Uganda the lead with a goal just before halftime in the 45th minute. Five minutes into the second half, James Bogere doubled Uganda’s advantage with a second goal.
Somalia responded in the 67th minute when Ibraim Osman scored, but Bogere sealed the win for Uganda
with a brace in stoppage time.
With this victory, both Uganda and Tanzania have automatically qualified for the 2025 U-17 AFCON tournament, which will be held in Morocco. Uganda will have two teams competing in Morocco, as the senior Uganda Cranes team also secured their place in the 2025 AFCON earlier in November under coach
Paul Put. The Cubs had shown strong form leading up to the match against Somalia, including a dominant 5-0 win over Kenya in their final group stage match. Uganda joins other qualified teams such as Egypt, Morocco, Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, and Ivory Coast for the 2025 U-17 AFCON in Morocco, which will take place from March 30 to April 19, 2025. The senior AFCON is scheduled for December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
The two finalists of the CECAFA qualifiers will automatically secure a place in this prestigious tournament, which will be held in Morocco next year. The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations will be the 15th edition of this biennial African youth football tournament, organized for players aged 17 and below. Morocco was selected as the host for this edition during the CAF Executive Committee meeting on December 16, 2024, which coincided with the 2024 CAF Awards ceremony in Marrakesh. All eight quarterfinalists will also qualify for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, representing CAF on the global stage.
