The Uganda Cranes are one win away from securing their spot in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals in Morocco as they face South Sudan today at 4 p.m at the Juba Stadium.
A victory for Uganda, coupled with a South Africa win against Congo in Brazzaville, would guarantee their qualification for the first time since 2019.
Uganda come into this match on the back of a 1-0 win over today’s hosts last Friday, with Bevis Mugabi’s early second-half goal proving decisive in a hard-fought battle at the Mandela National Stadium, Namboole.
The win marked Uganda’s second consecutive victory, boosting their unbeaten run to five of their last six matches, with their only recent loss coming against Algeria in June’s World Cup qualifiers.
Heading into the game, Uganda sits atop Group K with 7 points, level with South Africa, but with a crucial four-point cushion over Congo Brazzaville, who trail in third.
A victory today could send the Cranes to 10 points with 2 games to spare, comfortably sailing through to the AFCON finals if South Africa wins against Congo.
South Sudan, however, is fighting to keep their slim AFCON hopes alive.
After suffering a 1-0 loss to Uganda in their last encounter, the Bright Stars will need nothing less than a victory to remain in contention for their first-ever AFCON finals appearance.
The defeat last Friday was their fourth in a row, compounding their struggles in attack, as they have now failed to score in four of their last seven games.
Nicolas Dupuis’ South Sudan side currently sit bottom of Group J with no points and a seven-point gap to overcome in their remaining three games.
Anything short of victory today will eliminate them from contention. South Sudan is yet to win a match on home turf since 2022, and they face an uphill battle to turn things around in front of their fans.
For Uganda, coach Paul Put is expected to field a strong lineup, with Bevis Mugabi likely to feature after recovering from a flu infection that kept him out of training on Saturday.
He will partner with Halid Lwaliwa in defense, while midfield duo Ronald Ssekiganda and Travis Mutyaba, who were subbed off at halftime in the last match, may start from the bench.
South Sudan’s Paul Jawa, a 20-year-old forward, is among the players pushing for a start as Dupuis looks to address his side’s lack of firepower upfront.
With a near-flawless qualifying campaign so far, the Cranes are poised to complete the job. South Sudan, meanwhile, will be desperate to delay Uganda’s celebration, though a comeback from this position looks increasingly unlikely.
