Uganda’s historic FIFA U17 World Cup debut ended in heartbreak on Wednesday evening after the young Cubs relinquished an early advantage to fall 2–1 against Canada in Qatar.
The East Africans looked poised for a famous result when sharp striker James Bogere fired them ahead midway through the first half.
The forward latched onto a precise defense-splitting pass from Brian Jjara, shrugged off his marker, and coolly slotted beyond the Canadian goalkeeper to send the Ugandan bench into raptures.
For much of the encounter, the Cubs defended with discipline and courage, keeping the North Americans at bay while threatening on the counter.
However, their dream start unraveled cruelly in the dying stages. With just two minutes of normal time remaining, Elijah Rocho pounced to level matters for Canada, capitalizing on a rare lapse in concentration at the back.
As Uganda regrouped in search of a response, disaster struck in added time. Canada were awarded a penalty following a tangle in the box, and Marius Aiyenero kept his nerve to convert, sealing a dramatic turnaround and dashing Ugandan hopes of a fairytale start on the global stage.
Despite the defeat, the Cubs’ spirited performance earned admiration as they became the first Ugandan national team in history to feature at a FIFA World Cup tournament.
The result leaves both Uganda and Canada on three points in Group K, which also features South American contenders Chile and European powerhouses France. The Cubs will now need a strong response in their next fixture to keep their knockout ambitions alive.
