FIFA U–17 World Cup
Uganda U17 vs Chile U17 (Saturday, 8th November )
Venue: Aspire Zone – Pitch 8, Qatar
Kick-off: 3:30 PM Local Time (3:30 PM EAT)
Doha, Qatar: The Uganda U-17 national football team, the Cubs, will be out to revive their campaign when they face Chile in their second Group K fixture at the ongoing FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar. The match kicks off on Saturday at 3:30 PM EAT at Aspire Zone Pitch 8.
After suffering a narrow 2–1 defeat to Canada in their historic World Cup debut on Wednesday, the young Cubs are determined to make amends and keep their knockout qualification hopes alive.
Head coach Brian Ssenyondo says the players have taken valuable lessons from their first game and are mentally prepared for a strong comeback. “Our primary goal here is to progress from the group stages, and football gives you many chances,” Ssenyondo said.
“…we have another opportunity to achieve that target — if we win, we will be back in contention.”
The Ugandan tactician lauded his players for their resilience against Canada and expressed optimism that they can get a result against the disciplined South American side.
“We played good football against Canada and gave a strong fight. Any team can lose that way, but the most important thing is to pick lessons and apply them in the next game,” Ssenyondo noted.
He added that the team’s technical staff had carefully analyzed Chile’s playing style. “They play in a 1-5-3-2 system, which shows they are very compact at the back and avoid conceding easily. We’ve studied their style, and I believe we can break them down and get the goals we need,” he said.
Strong Start, Painful Finish Against Canada
In their opening match on November 5, the Cubs started on the front foot, taking the lead through James Bogere in the 25th minute. The forward latched onto a clever through-pass from Brian Jjara and calmly slotted the ball past the Canadian goalkeeper.
Uganda looked set for a memorable debut victory until late drama unraveled their hopes. Elijah Roche equalized for Canada in the 88th minute with a header, before Marius Aiyenero converted a stoppage-time penalty to hand the North Americans a 2–1 comeback win.
The Cubs created several goal-scoring opportunities, with Bogere and Elvis Torach both coming close to doubling Uganda’s lead. Torach’s first-half goal was disallowed for offside, while a potential penalty appeal in the second half was denied after a VAR review.
Goalkeeper Gilbert Mazige produced a series of fine saves to keep Uganda in the game, but the late collapse left the team crestfallen at the final whistle.
Uganda now sits at the 2nd bottom of Group K level with Chile at the bottom, whom they must beat to remain in contention for a place in the Round of 16. A draw or loss would likely end their dream World Cup debut in the group stage.
The Cubs are expected to maintain their attacking shape, with Bogere, Torach, and Isima Magala leading the frontline, while captain Gerald Kafuko marshals the defense.
Team sources say morale remains high, and the players are eager to make history by earning Uganda’s first-ever victory at a FIFA youth World Cup.
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