Uganda Hippos secured a 3-1 comeback victory over Burundi in the third-place playoff of the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) CECAFA Zonal Qualifiers, played at the KMC Stadium in Tanzania.
Uganda rallied from an early setback to claim the bronze medal in the regional tournament, marking a positive end to their AFCON qualification campaign.
Burundi struck first when Ramazani Hakizimana found the back of the net just five minutes into the match, putting the Hippos on the back foot.
However, Uganda responded with resilience and equalised in added time of the first half.
Abubakali Walusimbi, who came off the bench earlier in the game, netted a crucial goal two minutes into stoppage time to send the teams into the break level at 1-1.
The second half saw Uganda take control, thanks to striker John Paul Dembe, who was pivotal in the Hippos’ comeback.
Dembe, who was later crowned the tournament’s top scorer, added to his tally with a brace, giving Uganda a 2-1 lead in the 62nd minute.
He sealed the victory in the 78th minute with his second goal of the game, taking his total to six goals in the tournament and solidifying his position as the competition’s leading scorer.
Dembe’s heroics were instrumental throughout the tournament, having scored twice against Burundi in both the group stages and the playoff.
His prolific form earned him the golden boot, with six goals, edging out Tanzania’s Sabri Kondo, who finished with five goals.
Despite missing out on a spot at the 2025 U-20 AFCON after a narrow 2-1 loss to hosts Tanzania in the semi-final, the Hippos can take pride in their bronze-medal finish.
Uganda topped Group B with seven points after defeating Ethiopia 3-0, thrashing Burundi 4-1, and drawing 2-2 with South Sudan, before bowing out in extra time against Tanzania.
Meanwhile, Tanzania were crowned champions after defeating Kenya in the final, and the two will represent the CECAFA region at the upcoming U-20 AFCON.
