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By Spy Uganda
The Uganda U-17 Men’s National Football Team, the Cubs, have qualified for the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Ghana national under-17 football team on Saturday night.
The thrilling playoff match, played at the Mohammed VI Football Complex during the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026, ended 2-2 in normal time before Uganda edged Ghana 8-7 in a tense penalty shootout.
The victory secures Uganda’s place at the expanded FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar and marks one of the greatest achievements in the country’s youth football history.
Ghana’s Black Starlets made a bright start to the contest and took the lead in the 9th minute through Emmanuel Gyamfi.
However, the Uganda Cubs responded strongly, with Owen Mukisa leveling the score in the 34th minute to send the sides into halftime tied at 1-1.
Ghana regained the lead shortly after the break when Latif Wunzalgu found the back of the net in the 51st minute, putting the West Africans on course for qualification.
As the match approached full time, Uganda pushed relentlessly for an equalizer while Ghana focused on protecting their narrow advantage.
Just when the Black Starlets appeared destined for Qatar, Uganda were awarded a crucial penalty deep into stoppage time.
Arafat Ibanda calmly converted in the 91st minute, sending Ugandan fans into wild celebrations and forcing the match into a dramatic penalty shootout.
Uganda Hold Their Nerve
The penalty shootout tested the composure of both teams, but the Cubs displayed remarkable confidence under pressure.
Uganda successfully converted all eight of their spot-kicks through:
John Owino
Henry Muhoozi
Babi Abdulshakur Bashir
Brian Olwa
Arafat Ibanda
Mujaid Mbalire
Musa Suuna
Travor Mubiru
The decisive moment came when Ghana’s eighth penalty taker, Joseph Kpoeti, failed to convert, handing Uganda a famous victory and sparking emotional celebrations among players and fans.
With the win, Uganda claimed the 10th and final African slot for the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
The playoff format was introduced to determine the final qualification places among third-placed teams that failed to reach the quarter-finals of the U-17 AFCON tournament.
Uganda joins Mozambique, who also qualified after defeating Ethiopia 5-4 on penalties earlier on Saturday.
The two nations complete Africa’s representatives alongside Morocco, Cameroon, Senegal, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Tanzania and Algeria.
The qualification represents a remarkable turnaround for the Uganda Cubs, who bounced back from group-stage disappointment to secure a historic place on the world stage.
For Ugandan football, the achievement signals the continued growth of youth development and offers hope for a bright future for the national game.
, https://www.spyuganda.com/uganda-cubs-qualify-for-2026-fifa-u-17-world-cup-after-dramatic-win-over-ghana/
