RABAT – The Uganda U-17 Men’s National Football Team, the Cubs, have qualified for the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar after a breath-taking penalty shootout victory over Ghana on Saturday night.
The match, played at the Mohammed VI Football Complex during the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 play-offs, finished 2-2 in normal time before Uganda triumphed 8-7 on spot-kicks, according to CAF Online.
Last-Minute Drama Forces Shootout
The Black Starlets took an early lead in the 9th minute through Emmanuel Gyamfi, but the Uganda Cubs responded before the break when Owen Mukisa leveled the score in the 34th minute.
Ghana restored their advantage six minutes into the second half courtesy of Latif Wunzalgu, and spent the remainder of the match defending their slim lead.
Just as Ghana looked destined for Qatar, Uganda won a critical penalty deep into stoppage time.
Arafat Ibanda stepped up in the 91st minute to coolly slot home the equalizer, rescuing the Cubs’ World Cup dreams and sending the contest straight to penalties, as reported by CECAFA Online.
Flawless Spot-Kicks Secure Historic Ticket
The subsequent shootout put both youth teams’ composure to the test.
Uganda converted all eight of their penalties with precision, courtesy of: John Owino, Henry Muhoozi, Babi Abdulshakur Bashir, Brian Olwa, Arafat Ibanda, Mujaid Mbalire, Musa Suuna and Travor Mubiru.
The decisive moment came when Ghana’s eighth penalty taker, Joseph Kpoeti, missed the target, sealing an emotional victory for the East African youngsters and sparking ecstatic celebrations on the pitch.
Africa’s 10-Team Line-up Complete
With this victory, Uganda secures the 10th and final African slot for the expanded global showpiece in Qatar.
The play-off system was utilized to determine the final two slots for third-placed group finishers who missed out on the U-17 AFCON quarter-finals.
According to CAF’s Final Qualification Lineup, Uganda and Mozambique—who defeated Ethiopia 5-4 on penalties earlier on Saturday—joined the already qualified quarter-finalists: Morocco, Cameroon, Senegal, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Tanzania, and Algeria.
The successful qualification marks a spectacular turnaround for the Uganda Cubs, converting group-stage disappointment into one of the most significant milestones in the history of Ugandan youth football.