KAMPALA – By the time Uganda’s Cranes walk onto the pitch in Fes tonight, there will be no ambiguity about what lies ahead. One result keeps their Africa Cup of Nations dream alive. Anything else sends them home.
Bottom of Group C with a single point, Uganda must beat Nigeria, already qualified and one of the tournament’s heavyweights, to stand a realistic chance of reaching the knockout stages. Even then, qualification may hinge on whether they can squeeze through as one of the best third-placed teams. The margins are thin. The stakes could not be clearer.
Yet head coach Paul Put insists this is not a moment for fear.
“We are facing a very good team that played in the last final and has performed well, collecting maximum points so far,” Put said at the pre-match press conference at the Complexe Sportif des Fes. “I know the players have no option but to give their best. It will be hard and difficult, but in football, anything is possible.”
Put speaks from experience. He guided Burkina Faso to the AFCON final in 2013, only to lose to this same Nigeria side. Now, more than a decade later, he is asking Uganda to believe that pedigree alone does not decide matches.
That belief is rooted in the Cranes’ most recent outing: a 1–1 draw against Tanzania that felt closer to a missed opportunity than a relief. Uganda played with energy and intent, only to see Allan Okello miss a late penalty that would have transformed the group picture.
“Against Tanzania, we played a good game. Unfortunately, we didn’t win, but that gives us a good feeling to face Nigeria because you need to come onto the field feeling good and confident,” Put said.
“If you lack confidence, you can’t face a strong team like Nigeria. It’s always complicated without those elements. Our performance was good, the spirit was good, and the mentality was strong.”
That, he added, is the level Uganda must reach again, and perhaps exceed, if they are to survive.
Inside the camp, that message appears to have landed. Defender Jordan Obita described a squad refusing to dwell on its position at the bottom of the table.
“The team spirit is very high,” Obita said. “In the previous game, we had a big opportunity to win, but that didn’t happen. We train for the game, and we know we have to win. We enter with belief and no fear, and that’s what we will do.”
History offers Uganda a sliver of comfort. The Cranes have beaten Nigeria before, most famously in 1978, when they claimed a 2–1 victory on their way to reaching the AFCON final, still the country’s best-ever finish. It remains their only previous meeting with the Super Eagles at the tournament.
If Uganda are to repeat anything close to that feat, much of the responsibility will fall on striker Uchechukwu Ikpeazu. The forward has emerged as one of the Cranes’ brightest attacking threats and arrives at this match carrying both form and personal significance.
Born in London to a Nigerian father and a Ugandan mother, Ikpeazu switched allegiance in 2021 and was officially capped by Uganda in September. He has already scored twice for the Cranes, including the crucial late equaliser against Tanzania that kept their campaign alive.
“It keeps our dreams of qualifying out of the group alive, and we obviously want to win,” Ikpeazu said. “I’m half Nigerian since my dad is from there. Of course, there’s an emotional connection, but I also feel strongly about Uganda. I play for Uganda, so I’ll be hoping to beat Nigeria.”
“If I score, that would be amazing, but the most important thing is to get all three points.”
Scoring at AFCON, he admitted, has been deeply personal.
“I am absolutely ecstatic to score at the Africa Cup of Nations,” Ikpeazu said. “I grew up watching this tournament, following my idols like Didier Drogba and Yaya Touré. Just playing in this competition is a privilege. Scoring is beyond words.
“If I were to dedicate the goal, it would be to my grandparents on my mum’s side, who are no longer here. If they knew their grandson had scored at a major tournament to help Uganda get a point against Tanzania in Morocco, I think they’d be proud.”
Uganda are appearing at AFCON for the eighth time. Their history at the tournament is modest, but not without moments of defiance. As they prepare to face Nigeria in Fes, the equation is brutally simple: win, and the dream continues; fall short, and the campaign ends here.
Belief, history, and hope are all the Cranes have left to lean on. Tonight, they will need every one of them.
