Uganda’s U-17 national team will face Zambia on Sunday in a must-win clash at the TotalEnergies U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, with a place in the quarter-finals and a potential World Cup ticket at stake.
The final round of group stage matches kicks off with Group A, where Uganda currently sit third on three points, behind leaders Morocco and Zambia who are tied on four points.
A win against Zambia would propel the Ugandan Cubs to six points and secure automatic qualification to the quarter-finals of the continental tournament.
The stakes are high, not only for a spot in the last eight but also for qualification to the FIFA U-17 World Cup set for Qatar later this year.
The top two teams from each of the four groups at the U-17 AFCON will progress to the quarter-finals and automatically qualify for the World Cup.
The remaining four third-placed teams will battle it out in play-offs to determine the last two African representatives.
Uganda revived their campaign with a 3-0 win over Tanzania in their second group match, following an opening 5-0 defeat to host nation Morocco.
The strong response against Tanzania, powered by a clinical attacking performance, has kept the Cubs’ hopes alive heading into the final round of matches.
Morocco top the group with a superior goal difference (+5), followed by Zambia (+3), Uganda (-2), and Tanzania (-6), who are now out of contention.
In the other Group A fixture, Morocco will play Tanzania, with the hosts expected to secure their place in the knockout stage.
Elsewhere, Mali and Burkina Faso have already booked their spots in the quarter-finals after winning both their opening matches.
The race in Groups B, C, and D remains open, with several teams still in contention for progression and World Cup qualification.
