Cubs World Cup qualification must inculcate planning here
Uganda Cubs beat Gambia 2-1 n April 12, 2025 to qualify for the 2025 Under-17 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. PHOTO/COURTESY/FUFA
What you need to know:
- The Cubs’ achievement will undoubtedly inspire future generations and elevate Uganda’s profile on the global stage.
Every nation, in every sector, must find a turning point to cling on to. For a generation, Ugandan football must have felt, reaching the 1978 Africa Cup of Nations final as that moment.
No one at that moment knew that that was the peak of the Philip Omondi-inspired side. It was a flash in the pan that has not returned since.
By the time Omondi died in the 90s as a pauper, appearing at the Afcon, a routine of the 1970s, had become a Holy Grail.
In fact, the national football team, Uganda Cranes, did not return to the Africa Cup of Nations for nearly four decades. When the team did in 2017, it was supposed to be a rebirth.
Yes, the Cranes have since qualified for the 2019 and 2025 editions. However, because that was done, the insatiable appetite for more has never been quenched.
The World Cup, football’s biggest showpiece, is now the goal. Barring a miracle of gigantic proportions, the senior national team will not be going to the 2026 World Cup in USA, Canada and Mexico.
Let’s not get into that. Their juniors, the under-17 national football team, Cubs, have broken that ceiling.
The Cubs have made history by becoming the first Ugandan football team ever to qualify for a Fifa World Cup tournament after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over The Gambia in a high-stakes playoff in Morocco on Saturday night.
The result is a major milestone for Ugandan football and a testament to the growing development of youth football structures in the country.
The Cubs’ achievement will undoubtedly inspire future generations and elevate Uganda’s profile on the global stage.
While Mr James Bogere has been undoubtedly the team’s best player on this journey, there is a need for constant reflection on how we got here and what we need going forward.
From now on, we must act like we belong to this stage. There are many facets to this – the football federation (Fufa), schools’ football and academies – can all take a slice.
Nine years ago, Fufa started the Juniors League that has produced several players for all the teams, both at club and national level.
Schools today, with scholarships and coaches, have now become centres of excellence with the ability to develop players for this stage.
Then, there are several mushrooming academies that are teaching these players the basics. Players are now getting exposed to the game earlier than the majority of the older generation, did.
We must find a way to harness all the things that got these Cubs to this level and keep them. Let’s plan better.
