The Uganda Cranes secured a vital win in the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup Qualifiers, defeating Guinea 1-0 on Tuesday evening at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Namboole.
The highly anticipated match saw Allan Okello score the decisive goal, earning Uganda three crucial points.
Both teams began strongly, with Uganda dominating possession, particularly in the final third.
Defender Aziz Kayondo made two impressive solo runs down the left wing, but his pinpoint crosses were miscued by striker Muhammad Shaban.
The Cranes continued to dictate the pace, with Kayondo sending a teasing cross that forward Rogers Mato narrowly missed.
The breakthrough came in the 37th minute when Mady Camara fouled Travis Mutyaba outside the box, and Uganda was awarded a free kick in a prime location.
Vipers striker Allan Okello beautifully curled the free kick into the top left corner, beating goalkeeper Sylla Soumaila and sending the fans into a frenzy.
Uganda maintained their dominance throughout the match, with goalkeeper Nafian Alionzi making a crucial save in the final minutes to deny Guinea an equalizer.
Despite Guinea’s claims for a penalty for handball, the referee made the correct call, awarding Uganda a goal kick advantage.
At full-time, Allan Okello’s spectacular first-half free kick proved enough to hand Uganda maximum points, propelling them to third place in Group G with 9 points.
The team’s performance was notable, given the absence of captain Khalid Aucho in midfield. Goalkeeper Nafian Alionzi was exceptional, starting ahead of Ismail Watenga.
The starting lineups for both teams were:
Uganda: Nafian Alionzi, Elvis Bwomono, Aziz Kayondo, Bevis Mugabi, Ellio Capradosi, Ronald Ssekiganda, Kenneth Ssemakula, Allan Okello, Travis Mutyaba, Shaban Muhammad, Rogers Mato.
Guinea: Soumaila Sylla, Isiaga Sylla, Diakhaby Mouctar, Mohamed Camara, Ali Camara, Abdoulaye Toure, Mady Camara, Seydouba Cisse, Serhou Guirassy, Francois Kamano, Aliou Balde.
