After helping FK Vardar lift the Macedonia Cup last season, Uganda Cranes forward Rogers Mato is now making his mark on the European stage.
His club’s domestic success earned them a spot in the 2025/26 UEFA Europa Conference League qualifiers, a significant achievement that stirred excitement among Ugandan football fans.
On Thursday, July 10, Vardar kicked off their qualifying campaign with a home fixture against La Fiorita from San Marino.
Mato began the match on the bench as the first half ended goalless.
However, the tide quickly turned after the break. Mato was introduced at the start of the second half, and just two minutes later, Azer Omeragikj opened the scoring for the hosts in the 47th minute.
Vardar doubled their lead in the 66th minute after Mirko Drudi turned the ball into his own net under pressure from the advancing attack.
Moments later, it was Mato’s turn to leave his mark. The forward struck a well-placed shot from the edge of the 18-yard box into the bottom left corner, leaving goalkeeper Matteo Zavoli with no chance.
His goal sealed a commanding 3-0 victory for Vardar in the first leg.
With that result, Vardar carry a healthy advantage into the return leg in San Marino, putting them in a strong position to advance to the next round of the qualifiers.
Meanwhile, in the UEFA Europa League qualifiers, another Ugandan international was in action.
John Paul Dembe started for Swedish side BK Häcken, playing 60 minutes before being substituted for Srdjan Hrstic.
Shortly after his departure, Häcken took the lead in the 63rd minute through Severin Nioulé.
The hosts appeared to equalize in the 85th minute through Cedric Badolo, but VAR intervened to disallow the goal.
It was a promising night for Ugandan players in European competition, with both Mato and Dembe showing their potential on the continental stage.
