The Uganda Cranes secured a 1-0 victory over Burundi in the return leg of the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) Qualifiers on Sunday at Hamz Stadium.
Substitute Hakim Kiwanuka proved to be the hero, scoring a dramatic late goal to seal the win for the home side.
Kiwanuka’s deflected shot in the dying moments of the match found its way past the bewildered Burundi defense, ensuring Uganda complete the qualifiers with a perfect record.
This victory followed a similarly narrow 1-0 win in the first leg, where Isaac Ogwang scored the decisive goal.
Coach Paul Put made several changes to the starting lineup from the previous match, with Gideon Odong replacing Derrick Ndahiro at left-back and Joel Sserunjogi and Milton Karisa coming in for Paul Mbowa and Shafik Nana Kwikiriza respectively.
The opening stages of the match were a closely contested affair, with both sides struggling to create clear-cut opportunities. Karisa came closest in the 17th minute, but his header from Ssemugabi’s cross sailed wide of the mark.
Burundi posed a threat in the 20th minute, but goalkeeper Joel Mutakubwa was alert to the danger and quickly rushed off his line to thwart the opposition attack.
The second half saw an improvement in Uganda’s performance, particularly after the introduction of Patrick Jonah Kakande for the injured Jude Ssemugabi.
Kakande injected pace and creativity into the Cranes’ attack, and he came close to scoring in the 49th minute but was denied by the alert Burundian goalkeeper.
Allan Okello and Isaac Ogwang also had their chances, but their efforts either went wide or were saved by the opposition keeper.
With the game seemingly heading towards a draw, coach Put introduced Kiwanuka and Ivan Ahimbisibwe for Okello and Ogwang respectively.
And it was Kiwanuka who proved to be the match-winner. In the first minute of added time, his shot took a fortunate deflection off a Burundi defender and nestled into the back of the net, sparking wild celebrations among the home crowd.
This victory sets the stage for Uganda’s continued participation in the 2024 CHAN tournament, which will be co-hosted by Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya.
