Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Uganda’s U-17 national team, the Cubs, will battle Tanzania’s Junior Taifa Stars in the CECAFA U-17 Zonal Qualifiers final on Tuesday at Abebe Bikila Stadium, with both sides already assured of places at the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 AFCON 2026 in Morocco.
Head coach Laryea Kingston praised the intensity of the tournament and applauded the Cubs for quickly adapting to his tactical demands despite limited preparation time.
“This is a very competitive tournament. Some teams are stronger than others, and two that have impressed me the most are Ethiopia and Tanzania,” Kingston said.
He revealed he was initially concerned about how fast the young players would grasp new coaching concepts, but they proved their intelligence and willingness to learn.
“From the first whistle, they showed they are intelligent, willing to learn and well-coachable. That has been the most encouraging part of this journey,” he added.
Uganda stormed the final after a 3–0 victory over Ethiopia, courtesy of a brace from Lorian Lwesibawa and a goal from Thomas Ogema. Tanzania booked their place with a 3–1 win over Kenya.
Both teams qualified automatically for AFCON U17 2026 after winning their semi-final matches, with CECAFA allotted three slots, the bronze-medal winner securing the final ticket.
Tuesday’s clash is a repeat of the group-stage game that Tanzania won 2–1. It is also a repeat of last year’s final, which Uganda won 2–1 at Nakivubo Stadium with goals from Arafat Nkoola and James Bogere. Uganda are the defending CECAFA U17 champions and will be trying to keep their title.
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