Uganda Takes on Tanzania Today in AFCON 2025 Group C Showdown

Rabat – East African rivals Uganda and Tanzania will lock horns at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals for the first time when they meet in a pivotal Group C clash at Stade El Madina in Rabat on Saturday. Kick-off is set for 18h30 local time (17h30 GMT).

Both teams head into the encounter desperate for their first points of the tournament following opening-day defeats. Uganda fell 3–1 to Tunisia, while Tanzania suffered a narrow 2–1 loss to Nigeria.

While this marks their maiden meeting at the AFCON finals, the neighbours are well acquainted. Their most recent duels came during qualification for the 2023 tournament, where the away side claimed 1–0 victories in both fixtures. Tanzania went on to finish second in the group behind Algeria, securing a place at the Côte d’Ivoire finals at Uganda’s expense.

The rivalry stretches back more than 60 years. Their first recorded meeting was on 8 September 1964, when Tanzania won 3–0 in the East African Cup. Uganda’s biggest victory came in the CECAFA Cup on 30 November 1991, a dominant 5–0 triumph.

Historically, Uganda have found AFCON encounters against East African opposition challenging, losing both previous matches against Ethiopia in the group stages of the 1968 and 1976 tournaments. Tanzania’s only prior AFCON meeting with a regional rival ended in a 3–2 defeat to Kenya at the 2019 finals.

Adding another layer of intrigue, Uganda midfielders Khalid Aucho and Steven Mukwala currently play their club football in Tanzania, featuring for Singida Black Stars and Simba SC, respectively.

With qualification hopes hanging in the balance, Saturday’s showdown is expected to be fiercely contested, with fine margins likely to determine which side keeps its campaign alive.

Paul Put – Uganda coach: “We know the situation. Losing the opening game is not ideal in a tough competition like this, but we have to put that result behind us. This is now the most important game of the tournament. If we get a good result, our chances of progressing remain high. We must be aggressive and get what we need.”

Allan Okello – Uganda player: “Our focus is fully on the next game. Tournaments are always difficult, but our objective is to get out of the group stage. Tomorrow we must secure a result that keeps us in the competition and makes our people back home proud.”

Miguel Gamondi – Tanzania coach: “It was a good start despite the result. A win here would be historic. Uganda are not a giant, but they are not an average team either. As East African nations, we are very close in terms of competitiveness. Our matches are always tight, and this one will be no different. Character and temperament will decide it.”

Simon Msuva – Tanzania player: “We want to let our football do the talking. We know Uganda have quality and want to win, but we also want to win and qualify to make our nation proud. At our last AFCON, we only collected two points, and we are determined to improve on that.”

KEY STATISTIC

Uganda and Tanzania have met 61 times across all competitions. Uganda have won 33 matches, Tanzania 12, with 16 draws.