Uganda made a steady start to their 2026 CAF African Schools Football Championship campaign, holding hosts Zimbabwe to a 1-1 draw in the official opening match played on Easter Monday at Gateway High School.
Represented by St Mary’s Boarding School Kitende, Uganda showed resilience and character to come from behind and secure a valuable point in Group A, setting the tone ahead of two crucial fixtures.
Zimbabwe took the lead early in the second half through Moses Maremudze in the tightly contested encounter, played in a 20-minutes-per-half format.
However, Uganda responded with determination, as Bashir Edema found the equaliser to restore parity for the East African representatives.
Despite creating several scoring opportunities, Uganda was unable to convert more chances, a concern highlighted by head coach Hassan Zzunga after the match.
“The game was disappointing after creating so many chances and managing to score just once. Our opponents created once and put it away. A point is not bad, and we shall build on it as we look forward to tomorrow’s games,” Zzunga noted.
He added that the team remains focused on finishing strongly in the group stage. “We gave our best during the opener as we pushed for maximum points, but a draw against the hosts is consolation. We aim to finish strongly against DR Congo and Morocco.”
Uganda now turns attention to a demanding double-header scheduled for Tuesday, April 7. They will first face DR Congo at midday before taking on North African side Morocco later in the afternoon.
Group A also features Morocco and DR Congo alongside Uganda and hosts Zimbabwe, making the race for qualification highly competitive.
Defending champions Tanzania headline Group B in the boys’ category, alongside Zambia, Senegal, and Benin, while Ghana are the reigning champions in the girls’ division.
Uganda holds hosts Zimbabwe in CAF African Schools Championship opener
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