Reigning champs Somalia warn Uganda ahead of semi-final clash

The head coach of Somalia’s U-17 team, Mohamed Abdulkhadir Shikhdon has warned that his team is well prepared to face Uganda in the semi-final of the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) – CECAFA qualifiers on Tusday.

South Sudan will face Tanzania in the first semi-final tie this afternoon, while Somalia, the reigning champions of the U-17 CECAFA Zone battle hosts Uganda. The matches will take place at the Nakivubo Hamz Stadium in Kampala.

Shikhdon who is based in Sweden has made it clear that after struggling to qualify for the knock out stage, they are more than hungry to prove a point when they face Uganda.

“We know what to expect against Uganda because we also beat them at the same level in 2022 in Ethiopia. We are going to be very cautious and also try to be sharp at goal because we have been missing several scoring opportunities,” added the Somalia coach.

Uganda’s coach Brian Ssenyondo has also made it clear that the knock out stage is very different and his players must be very sharp at goal, while the defending department is very alert to close out the opponents. “We must play as a team and kill of the game early,” added Ssenyondo.

To reach the semis Uganda topped Group A after drawing 1-1 with Tanzania and humbling Kenya 5-0 in the last group match. Somalia started their campaign with a 3-0 defeat to South Sudan, and struggled to defeat Sudan 1-0 in their deciding Group B match.

The earlier semi-final clash promises to be a tight battle. 

Nasir Yousif Hassen Bakit, the South Sudan coach has made it clear that although they won their first two matches, the semi-final stage is different and his players must double their efforts. “I have told my players to work harder because a win at this stage means we qualify for the U-17 AFCON,” he added.

The Tanzanian coach Aggrey Morris Ambros also pointed out that they must keep close watch of South Sudan’s attacking force that has scored four goals in their two matches. “We need to be very organized and hungry to win,” added the former Tanzanian International.

The best two teams will qualify for the 2025 TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to take place in Morocco.

Collected results

Somalia 0 South Sudan3

Uganda 1 Tanzania1

Tanzania 1 Kenya 0

South Sudan 1 Sudan 0

Somalia 1 Sudan 0

Uganda 5 Kenya 0