FIFA U-17 World Cup 2025 (Group K)
Canada U-17 2-1 Uganda U-17
France U-17 2-0 Chile U-17
Doha, Qatar: Uganda’s U-17 national football team, the Cubs, endured heartbreak in their historic FIFA World Cup debut after conceding two late goals to lose 2–1 to Canada in their opening match of the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup at Doha’s Al Bayt Stadium on Wednesday, November 5.
The match, which marked Uganda’s first-ever appearance at a FIFA tournament, began brightly for the East African debutants, with forward James Bogere etching his name into the history books as Uganda’s first-ever World Cup goal scorer.
Bogere struck in the 25th minute, racing onto a precise through ball from midfielder Brian Jjara before calmly slotting past the Canadian goalkeeper — a goal that sent the Ugandan bench and fans into wild celebrations.
“It’s a goal that every young player dreams of,” said team coach Hamza Lutalo after the match. “We played with heart, but football can be cruel. We’ll learn and come back stronger.”
The Cubs looked poised to secure a historic victory until the final minutes, when Canada mounted a dramatic turnaround.
In the 88th minute, defender Elijah Roche rose highest to head home the equalizer from a corner kick, leveling the game 1–1. Then, deep into stoppage time, a controversial penalty awarded after a handball saw Marius Aiyenero convert from the spot to hand Canada all three points.
Uganda’s defence, which had stood firm for most of the match, was undone by late pressure and fatigue. “We gave it our all, but concentration slipped at the end,” said team captain Elvis Torach. “We’re disappointed, but proud of what we showed on the world stage.”
Cubs Impress Despite Defeat
Despite the painful loss, Uganda’s performance drew praise from fans and analysts for their aggressive counter-attacking play and composure on the ball.
Bogere nearly doubled the lead in the 83rd minute but was denied by a last-ditch tackle — ironically from Roche, who later became Canada’s hero. Earlier, Uganda had a goal disallowed for offside when Torach headed in a rebound, and they were denied a penalty after a VAR review overturned what looked like a foul on Bogere in the box.
Goalkeeper Gilbert Mazige was another standout performer, pulling off several reflex saves to keep Uganda ahead before the late goals.
Group K Standings and Next Challenge
The result leaves Uganda bottom of Group K, tied with Chile on zero points, while Canada and France are both tied with 3 points, after the latter defeated Chile 2–0 in the other fixture to lead in the standings by Goal Difference.
Uganda will next face Chile in a crucial group game on Saturday, November 8, as they seek their first-ever points at a FIFA World Cup.
“We are making history just by being here,” coach Lutalo said. “This is a young team with a bright future. We’ll fix our mistakes and keep fighting.”
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