Uganda’s Hippos made an emphatic statement in their opening match of the CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying tournament, dispatching Djibouti 4-1 at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday.
The result puts Uganda in a strong position in Group B ahead of Friday’s decisive encounter against Sudan, with a victory enough to secure their passage to the semifinals.
Isma Magala Mulala set the tone for Uganda with an early breakthrough, finding the net in the fifth minute to hand the Hippos a perfect start.
Djibouti, however, responded in the 23rd minute when substitute Ishak Tahir restored parity and briefly threatened to unsettle Uganda.
The Hippos regained control before the interval, with Genesis Ocen Odiya restoring their advantage on the stroke of halftime.
Captain Richard Okello then extended Uganda’s lead on the hour mark before Magala completed his brace just two minutes later, putting the result beyond doubt.
Uganda will now turn its attention to Sudan on Friday, knowing that another victory would guarantee a place in the semifinals.
The qualifying tournament features three groups of three teams.
The winners of each group advance directly to the semifinals, while the remaining semifinal berth goes to the best-ranked runner-up across the three groups.
Groups
Group A: Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda
Group B: Uganda, Sudan, Djibouti
Group C: South Sudan, Kenya, Burundi
