Uganda’s U-17 side bask in Afcon qualification glory
Boys to men: Uganda’s U-17 side, who won the Cecafa regional qualifier on Sunday evening, after arrival at Entebbe Airport yesterday morning. Photo by Ismail Kezaala
What you need to know:
- Goals from Samson Kassozi and a brace form Idd Abdul Wahid gave the Cubs are 3-0 lead before Ethiopian talisman Mintesnot Wakjira scored a late consolation.
- Coach Peter Onen will take further pride in the fact his team scored 23 goals the most at the tournament.
Kampala. The positive thing about playing under age football like an Under-17 tournament is that it is rare for experience to count on the pitch.
Consequently games are mostly decided basing on what the players showcase on the pitch on a given day. So whether the national under-17 team captain Gavin Kizito Mugweri made his statement in the heat of the moment, the Cubs will have a level playing ground when the 2019 Africa U-17 Cup of Nations kicks off.
“I thank the players for their determination and we have promised the Fufa president that we shall not just participate but try to win,” Mugweri said upon the team’s arrival from Tanzania yesterday morning. This is after Cubs reached the continental showpiece tournament for the first time in history with a 3-1 win over Ethiopia to earn the only qualification slot from the Central East qualifier.
Unlike previous successes, the current Fufa administration can fully take the credit for this team’s success. The majority of the team comprised players who have been featuring in the Fufa Juniors League.
“We thank the Fufa president for starting the juniors’ league because it is one of the things that helped us succeed because we played with determination and had no fear,” he added.
Yet despite team Uganda’s determination, their victory in the qualifying format now played on regional basis seemed unlikely.
The Cubs lost their opening game 1-0 to Ethiopia, the team they defeated in the finals before recovering to win all their subsequent games, scoring the most goals in the process.
They routed South Sudan 6-1, topped rivals Kenya 3-1 before whitewashing Djibouti 8-0 to progress with nine points behind Ethiopia in Group B. A 3-1 semfinal win over Cecafa champions Tanzania who had already qualified as hosts gave them the necessary confidence to exact revenge on the Ethiopians in the final.
Goals from Samson Kassozi and a brace form Idd Abdul Wahid gave the Cubs are 3-0 lead before Ethiopian talisman Mintesnot Wakjira scored a late consolation.
Coach Peter Onen will take further pride in the fact his team scored 23 goals the most at the tournament.
Davis Sekajja scored five of those while Onduaparaka JT striker Idd and Najib Yiga added four.
