El Jadida, Morocco — The roar of history echoed through the Ben M’Hamed El Abdi Stadium on Saturday night as Uganda’s U-17 national football team, the Cubs, etched their name into football folklore. With a spirited 2-1 victory over The Gambia, the young Ugandan side became the first national team in the country’s history to qualify for a FIFA tournament, marking a watershed moment for Ugandan football.
The qualification to the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar is more than just a sporting achievement—it is a symbol of national progress, a long-awaited reward for years of groundwork in youth development, and a proud rebound from past heartbreak. Just four years ago, Uganda’s U-20 team had qualified for the 2021 U-20 FIFA World Cup only for the tournament to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That lost chance haunted a generation. On Saturday, the Cubs wrote their own redemption script.
The journey to this historic feat wasn’t smooth. Uganda finished third in Group A of the CAF U-17 AFCON 2025, a position that left their World Cup dream hanging in balance. A new playoff format offered them a lifeline, pairing them with The Gambia—two-time World Cup veterans—in a winner-takes-all showdown.
But Uganda’s start to the match was anything but promising. In a jolting opening moment, The Gambia’s Ahmed Njundu Kanyi struck just seconds after kickoff, silencing the Ugandan bench and briefly raising fears of another near-miss on the continental stage.
Enter James Bogere.
A student at Blessed Sacrament Kimaanya and rising star of Ugandan football, Bogere stepped up when it mattered most. In the 13th minute, he met a pinpoint cross from right-back Elvis Torach with a clinical volley, leveling the score and swinging momentum back in Uganda’s favor. Twenty minutes later, Bogere was at it again—seizing on a chaotic buildup after Torach was fouled—but with the referee allowing play to continue, he pounced and fired home the winner in the 33rd minute.
Coach Brian Ssenyondo’s tactical adjustments proved crucial. He reintroduced midfielder Jovan Nsereko Mukisa, fresh off suspension, and started Derrick Sozi over Simon Wanyama up front. Although Wanyama would come on later, he missed two clear chances that could have made the win more comfortable. The defense, however, stood tall in the dying minutes, repelling a late Gambian surge with admirable composure and grit.
There were heart-in-mouth moments—like Richard Okello’s disallowed goal for offside and an injury to Ashraf Kyakuwa—but none of them would deny Uganda its moment of glory.
With this result, Uganda joins African heavyweights like Senegal, Mali, and South Africa as the continent’s representatives at the U-17 World Cup in Qatar, a tournament that will also feature global giants like Brazil, Germany, and Argentina. It is a leap into elite company and a defining milestone for a nation that has long yearned to make its mark on the world stage.
Beyond the win, the story of James Bogere stands out. The tournament’s top scorer in the CECAFA qualifiers, Bogere recently completed trials with Danish club AGF Aarhus, hinting at a promising future not just for him, but for Uganda’s football exports. His emergence reflects the growing maturity of youth football structures back home—proof that with the right investment, Ugandan talent can stand toe-to-toe with the best.
As the final whistle blew in El Jadida, a new chapter opened in Ugandan sport—not just about reaching the World Cup, but about believing that Uganda can belong on football’s grandest stages. The Cubs did not just qualify for a tournament; they changed a nation’s story. Now, the world will be watching.
