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Uganda’s U-17 national team, the Cubs, are preparing for their biggest test yet as they take on Ivory Coast in their final Group B fixture at the U-17 AFCON tournament in Morocco, with a place at the FIFA U-17 World Cup on the line.
The Cubs head into the decisive encounter sitting third in the group standings with three points collected from their opening two matches.
Uganda made a strong start to the tournament after brushing aside DR Congo 3-0 in their opening game. However, their momentum was halted by a slim 1-0 loss to Cameroon in the second match.
Abdoulran Soudeisse netted the only goal of the game as Cameroon capitalized on a subdued Ugandan performance.
Only the top two teams in the group are guaranteed qualification to the knockout rounds and an automatic ticket to the FIFA U-17 World Cup. Africa has 10 confirmed slots at the tournament, while two additional places will be decided through playoff matches.
A win against Ivory Coast would see Uganda move level on six points and progress ahead of the West Africans thanks to a better head-to-head record.
There is also a possibility of a three-way tie if Cameroon overcome DR Congo in the other Group B encounter. In that scenario, qualification would be determined using the mini-table involving the tied teams.
Cameroon were beaten 2-0 by Ivory Coast before defeating Uganda 1-0, meaning a Ugandan victory over the Ivorians would significantly boost the Cubs’ chances of advancing.
Simply put, victory for Uganda would confirm qualification to both the quarterfinals and the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Anything short of that could leave the Cubs relying on the playoff route to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
