At the 2025 Fifa U-17 World Cup, the Uganda Cubs are proving that heroes can emerge from any corner of the pitch. On Saturday at Qatar’s Aspire Zone, goalkeeper Edrisah Waibi turned what could have been a nervy night into a masterclass in composure as he kept the Cubs in the game against 2023 African champions Senegal.
And when it mattered most, Vipers’ Abubakar Walusimbi stepped up with a thunderous 18th-minute strike to deliver Uganda’s historic 1-0 win and secure a place in the Round of 16 against Burkina Faso.
The victory reflected a team learning from its early tournament stumbles.
Defensive lapses had haunted Uganda in pre-tournament friendlies against Paraguay, Venezuela and Panama, and briefly in Qatar, as they led Canada 1-0 only to concede twice and lose 2-1 in the opening group game.
Coach Brian Ssenyondo responded decisively by slotting Waibi into goal to steady the defence.
After conceding against Chile, Waibi quickly grew into the role, keeping Uganda secure against France and ultimately shining against Senegal.
Man-of-the-match
Waibi’s performance against Senegal was relentless. Within the first 20 minutes, he blocked a close-range strike from Victor Mendy, stretching his left foot to deflect the ball wide.
Moments later, a dangerous corner spilled into the box, leaving Senegalese forward Bakary Ssonko with an almost open goal but Waibi reacted instantly to tame the header.
Seconds after, a powerful long-range effort from Ettiene required a full-stretch dive, which Waibi executed flawlessly, keeping the scoreline in Uganda’s favour.
Each save seemed to steady the team, turning potential panic into belief. Reflecting on the display, Ssenyondo said: ‘I applaud my goalkeeper because he kept us in the game, especially those opening 35 minutes. That’s what we expect: that when everyone is beaten, we need the goalkeeper to stand big in goal, and that’s what the small man did.’
Variety
Uganda’s attacking play also showed growing maturity and variety. Walusimbi’s goal came from a fluid move that began with Arafat Nkoola intercepting a loose pass, linking with Richard Okello, who was fouled but waved for advantage.
Captain Hamuza Sengooba’s cut-back at the right wing found Walusimbi, whose thunderous shot left Senegal’s goalkeeper helpless.
With James Bogere suspended for the Round of 16, Walusimbi also proved that Uganda can now produce goals from multiple sources.
All the last three goals have come from different scorers. As the Cubs continue ageing like fine wine as they prepare for what Burkina Faso has to offer on Tuesday afternoon.