Uganda U-17 head coach Brian Ssenyondo was crystal clear when the Cecafa qualifiers for the 2025 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations began,that his mission was to guide the team to the Fifa U-17 World Cup.
Uganda achieved that goal after a spirited qualification run that took them to the Afcon finals in Morocco in March and later played a playoff victory over Gambia after failing to qualify directly.
At the continental showpiece, the Cubs managed only one win and two losses but they stayed in contention for a World Cup slot through the playoffs.
Even conceding in the first minute against Gambia did not shake their resolve as James Bogere scored twice to seal Uganda’s passage to Qatar.
Ssenyondo’s focus quickly shifted to the global stage. Drawn in Group K alongside seasoned sides France, Canada and Chile, Uganda’s first task was not only survival but be among the best 32 in the world.
The Cubs made a dream start against Canada in the opening game as they grabbed an early 1-0 lead before painfully losing 2-1 in the final minutes.
Against Chile in the second game, Uganda was trailing until the 90th minute but Derrick Ssozi’s last gasp strike kept their hopes alive heading into the final match which was a humongous must-win battle with France.
On Tuesday, the Cubs produced one of the biggest shocks of the tournament, beating the former world champions and last edition’s finalists 1-0.
Initially, this looked like a one-sided affair going by the pedigree of the two nations. But the team’s dreams overcame the fear-factor as Bogere scored again, this time in the 18th minute, to hand Uganda a historic win.
That secured qualification to the round of 32 as one of the best third-placed teams.
The result has stirred excitement and raised expectations back home with Ugandan fans flooding social media to celebrate what many have called the country’s finest footballing moment at youth level.
There is now mounting pressure on Ssenyondo’s side to keep the fairytale going but the coach has tried to shield his young players from external noise while urging calm and focus.
‘It’s good that we won and also played very good, entertaining football,’ Ssenyondo said.
‘Our target coming here was to fight and leave the groups and we have achieved that. Now we just want to enjoy ourselves. We’re going to see what the knockout has to offer but we shall take it game by game.’
The win over France has lifted confidence in the Ugandan camp but the next hurdle is another African powerhouse Senegal whose pedigree at this stage doesn’t match any of the three teams Uganda played in the groups further fuelling Uganda’s expectations.
Senegal are appearing at the U-17 World Cup for the third time after debuting in 2019 and featuring again in the last edition in 2023.
The reigning African champions topped Group C unbeaten, beating Costa Rica 1-0, thrashing the United Arab Emirates 5-0 and drawing goalless with Croatia.
The round of 32 fixture presents both a test of maturity and a chance to show that the Cubs’ win over France was no fluke but for now, Ssenyondo insists, it’s time to enjoy the moment they’ve earned, rightfully.