NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 9 – The Uganda Cranes cruised 2-0 over Somalia, stitching together back-to-back wins that keep their FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying dreams alive while Tanzania’s journey in Group E is quietly meaningful.
Uganda Galloping Ahead
In Group G, Uganda sits in the hot seat behind Algeria, having won five matches and lost three to accumulate 15 points, four behind leaders the Desert Foxes.
Their last victory against Somalia, courtesy of a penalty from Allen Okello and a Jude Ssemugabi strike, keeps them on their toes behind Algeria.
With two matches left, Uganda needs to win all their fixtures against Botswana and Algeria and hope the Desert Foxes slip to book the historic automatic slot.
If they finish second, they will hope to be one of the top four best losers to compete in the global repechage.
“The players have continued to work hard, and I am very happy that they scored two goals and defended well. We have two more group games, and we must remain focused,” said Ugandan coach Paul Put after their performance against Somalia.
-Tanzania’s Quiet Move in a Different Arena-
Tanzania also sits in second place behind already qualified Morocco in Group E, with Zambia, Niger, and Congo, a very different battleground.
They have quietly pocketed points via forfeit wins after Congo’s suspension on February 6, which was later lifted on May 14, and the withdrawal of Eritrea.
Despite trailing behind Morocco, they remain a potential contender for the play-off spots, depending on second-place rankings across groups.
The Taifa Stars face Niger and Mauritania in their must-win last fixtures.
Tanzanian Coach Hemed Suleiman hailed his team after their hard-fought 1-0 win against Mauritania.
“I think it was a tactical game, and we managed to win it. We’ll return to training and work on correcting our mistakes. The important thing is getting three points as our main goal remains qualification to the next round.”
-Kenya Out-
Kenya has been unfortunate in Group F, with only six points, and is out of the qualifier as they trail behind Gabon, Burundi, Gambia, and pack leaders Ivory Coast.
