RADÈS, Tunisia — Uganda Cranes produced a disciplined away performance to hold Tunisia to a 1-1 draw at the Stade Olympique de Radès on Thursday, securing a valuable point in their opening Group H fixture of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The hosts, playing under new head coach Mouine Chaâbani, made the stronger start and were rewarded in the 12th minute when Adem Arous put Tunisia ahead.
Uganda, however, responded with composure and gradually grew into the contest, refusing to allow the early setback to disrupt their approach.
Their persistence was rewarded in the 68th minute, when Rogers Mato found the equaliser to silence the home crowd and restore parity.
The Cranes held firm for the remainder of the contest to claim one of the notable results of the opening round of qualifiers.
Although Uganda have already secured their place at the 2027 AFCON finals as co-hosts alongside Kenya and Tanzania, the qualifying campaign provides head coach Paul Put with competitive fixtures to assess his squad and sharpen preparations for the continental tournament.
The Cranes will now return home for their next assignment, facing Libya in their second qualifier at the newly built Hoima City Stadium on September 29, 2026, at 7:00pm.
The Tunisia result gives Uganda an early boost as Put continues to mould a side capable of making an impact when the 2027 AFCON finals arrive on home soil.
