Uganda Cubs have qualified for the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2026 to take place in Qatar.

Under head coach Laryea Kingston, the determined Ugandan team defeated Ghana 8-7 in penalty shoot-outs in one of the second play-off match played on Saturday night at the Mohammed VI Football Complex.

Uganda leveled late in the match to make it 2-2 before the match was decided on penalties. Eric Gyamfi gave Ghana the lead after 9 minutes, but Owen Mukisa leveled matters to make it 1-1 after 34 minutes.

After recess Ghana again found space in the Ugandan backline to make it 2-1 after 51 minutes through Abdul Latif. With one minute of added time Uganda were awarded a penalty and Arafat Ibanda made no mistake from the spot.

Uganda converted all her eight penalties, while Jacob Kpoeti missed for Ghana to hand the Cubs the opportunity to book a lost in their second straight FIFA U-17 World Cup.

In an earlier play-off another CECAFA team failed to book a place in the FIFA U-17 World Cup after losing 5-4 to Mozambique during penalty kicks after the match had tied 1-1.

CECAFA will now be represented by Tanzania and Uganda at the FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Tanzania will continue at the quarter final stage when they face Algeria on Sunday in a quarter final stage of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on-going in Morocco.

The Serengeti Boys of Tanzania will face Algeria in the quarter final stage at the on-going TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

After stopping Mozambique and Angola by a 3-0 goal margin in the first two matches of Group C, Tanzania lost the last match 2-1, but remained top of the log.

The Tanzania team that has already booked a slot for the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2026 will now take on Algeria in a quarter final match on May 24^th. The winner will take on the winner between Cote d’Ivoire and Egypt at the semi final stage.

Elieneza Nsanganzelu, the Tanzania head coach said that they are happy to qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup and now look forward to performing well in the knock out stage of the AFCON U-17.

“We have achieved the first mission and now we are targeting the second mission which is winning the AFCON U-17 title,” says Nsanganzelu.

In the other quarter final matches hosts Morocco will face Cameroon, while Senegal take on Mali.

CECAFA teams Uganda and Ethiopia will also have the opportunity of qualifying for the FIFA U-17 World Cup when they face Ghana and Mozambique respectively on May 23^rd.

The top two teams in each of the four groups already earned direct qualification to the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2026, while the four in the play-off battle for the remaining two places. A total of 10 teams will represent Africa at the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2026 in Qatar.

Vipers Sports Club are champions of the 2025/2026 StarTimes Uganda Premier League.

The Kitende based side defeated Maroons FC 3-0 in a match played at the Wankulukuku Stadium on Tuesday to clinch their eighth Premier League title.

Veteran Yunus Sentamu gave Vipers SC the lead, before Usama Arafat and Karim Watambala added to more goals to ensure Vipers SC clinched the title with one more match to be played.

The win and a goalless draw by closest challengers KCCA FC against URA FC ensured Vipers bagged yet another trophy as they now have 64 points from 29 matches.

In the other matches played on Tuesday army side UPDF settled for a goalless draw against Calvary FC, while Police FC and Entebbe UPPC also drew 1-1, Bidco FC and Kitara FC drew 1-1, while Express FC and Lugazi FC also ended 0-0

Vipers SC handled by Belgian Van Jacky Minnaert will now represent Uganda in the 2025/2026 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.

CECAFA teams Sudan and Ethiopia have been placed in Group J 2027 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) PAMOJA qualifiers.

In the draw conducted at the Egyptian Football Association headquarters in Cairo, Egypt on Tuesday, the two CECAFA teams were placed alongside Senegal and Mozambique.

The draw was conducted by former African football stars Max-Alain Gradel (Cote d’Ivoire), William Troost-Ekong (Nigeria), Essam El Hadary (Egypt) and Trésor Mputu (DR Congo).

Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania will co-host the tournament from June 19 June to July 17, 2027. Co-hosts will take part in qualifiers but have secured their places as co-hosts, so one team from their pool will join them.

The first matches of the group qualifiers will kick-off in September, 2026.

Group D also has two CECAFA teams Kenya and Eritrea together with South Africa and Guinea. Somalia who are making a return to the group stage of the qualifiers after several years are placed alongside Ivory Coast, Ghana and The Gambia.

The 48 teams that will play in the qualifiers have been placed into 12 groups, with the top two in each pool advancing to the continental finals.