El Jadida, Morocco: Uganda’s U17 Men’s National Football Team, the Cubs, Saturday made history by securing a ticket to their first-ever FIFA World Cup after defeating Gambia 2-1 in a tense qualification playoff at the 2025 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The decisive tie, held at the Stade El Abdi, El Jadida in Morocco, saw Uganda overcome a nervy start to book a place at the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, which will run from 3rd to 27th November this year.
It was a brilliant performance from the Cubs on the evening, who recovered quickly after conceding just seconds into the match when Gambia’s Ahmed Njundu Kanyi struck in the first minute, putting the Baby Scorpions ahead early.
Ssenyondo’s lads responded with courage and skill when Uganda’s No. 9 forward James Bogere led the charge, netting a crucial brace in the 13th and 33rd minutes to swing momentum in favour of the day’s hosts before the break.
The Cubs held firm through the second half, with resolute defending and disciplined midfield play ensuring they protected their lead until the final whistle to ensure history is made for the Ugandan side who have never played at the World cup stage in any edition of the FIFA organized competitions.
Uganda finished third in Group A, while Gambia were the third-placed side in Group C and were drawn to play for the extra two slots in the playoffs to join the 8 quarterfinalists who secured automatic qualification by qualifying for the AFCON U17 knockout round.
World stage secured.
— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) April 12, 2025
Uganda are FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 bound!#TotalEnergiesAFCONU17 pic.twitter.com/SqYSQnczmI
The Cubs now join the continent’s elite on the world stage and will represent Africa alongside Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Senegal.
The Gambia, on the other side, who were looking for victory to take them to their third FIFA U17 World Cup along with past participations in 2005 and 2009 will regret missed chances as Uganda celebrates the milestone.
The World Cup in Qatar is expected to showcase the brightest young talents from around the globe, with Germany arriving as defending champions.
This will be the first edition of the tournament to feature an expanded format of 48 teams.
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