Uganda Cubs striker, Simon Wanyama celebrates his goal against Tanzania U17Morocco, Africa:- Uganda’s U17 Men’s national team, “The Cubs”, Thursday bounced back with an impressive 3-0 victory over Tanzania to get their first win at the ongoing TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.
A trio of second-half goals from Simon Wanyama, Richard Okello, and James Bogere proved enough to secure a vital win for the Ugandan youngsters, restoring their confidence after a crushing 5-0 defeat against tournament hosts Morocco in the tournament opener.
Having struggled against the well-prepared Atlas Cubs, Uganda needed a positive response to keep their World Cup qualification hopes alive and their resilience paid off as they dominated their East African rivals with a well-coordinated attacking display.
After a goaless first half on the night, Simon Wanyama broke the deadlock to give the Cubs a deserved lead in the 61st minute before Captain Richard Okello doubled the lead with just 6 minutes to full time.
The Cubs’ victory was sealed by a fine finish from James Bogere in the 90th minute to ensure Uganda takes maximum points, crucial for their qualification hopes. Bogere subsequently won the Man of Match award for his dazzling display against the Serengeti Boys.
Speaking after the match, Uganda Cubs coach Brian Ssenyondo expressed his satisfaction with the team’s response and emphasized the importance of resilience and focus after a humbling defeat to hosts in the opener.
“I think, like I said last time, after we had played in Morocco, that this game we shall present ourselves the best way because I thought we didn’t present ourselves the best way. Maybe the tactics last time, because we were playing a quality opponent in Morocco, so the tactics never worked. But also, Morocco was a quality team overall,”
“With due respect to Tanzania, I think they are a very good team, but I told the boys that this is a rivalry, this is a derby. For us, with Tanzania, it’s always a hard game. But I told the boys that if we need to win today, we need to want it more than them,” he added.
“I think the key factor today was all about the character, and risking ourselves all, because I told the boys that today, we should lose ourselves, risk and go all out, and thanks for it is paid off.”
Cubs forward James Bogere, who scored one of the crucial goals, praised the team’s preparedness and determination. “We were organized and we lost the first game. We came to this game well prepared and the bosses gave us what we were supposed to follow. I’m happy that all the teammates did what they were told to do. The game was easy and we won.”
He added, “As a person, I driven myself because the first game I was needed in the game but I wasn’t where I could be seen. Before coming to the game, I sat down and said I have to help my country because we are fighting for the nation. I came well prepared and I did what was supposed to be done.”
Coach Ssenyondo emphasized that their primary goal is to reach the U-17 World Cup. “Our target is clear. We want to make it to the World Cup, and to do that, we have to reach the quarter-finals at least,” he said. “This win against Tanzania gives us hope, but we must remain focused and perform well against Zambia.”
A total of 10 countries from Africa (8 quarterfinalists and two others from play off of the third-place holders in the four groups) will go to the worldcup that will be held in Qatar in November this year.
Placed in Group A alongside hosts Morocco, Zambia, and Tanzania, Uganda now looks to maintain their form as they prepare for the final group-stage encounter, a do-or-die fixture against Zambia on Sunday, April 06, where a win could propel them to the knockout stages and a step closer to their World Cup dream.
Uganda’s last appearance at the U17 AFCON in 2019 ended in disappointment, as they finished third in the group stages and missed out on World Cup qualification. This time, the Cubs are determined to make amends and secure a place on the global stage.
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