The Uganda Cranes took a significant step towards qualifying for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025, following a hard-fought 2-1 victory over South Sudan in a Group K match played at the Juba National Stadium.
Under the guidance of coach Paul Put, Uganda’s national team now sits comfortably atop their group with 10 points, edging closer to a coveted spot in the continental tournament.
The match started brightly for Uganda when Denis Omedi opened the scoring in the 15th minute. However, South Sudan quickly responded through Yohanna Juma, equalizing six minutes later.
After a tense first half, Uganda found their breakthrough in the 66th minute when substitute Travis Mutyaba’s free kick forced an own goal by Alfred Leku, securing a decisive lead for the Cranes.
Despite South Sudan’s efforts to mount a comeback, Uganda’s defense remained impenetrable, cementing their place at the top of Group K.
Meanwhile, South Africa, who sit in second place, were held to a 1-1 draw by Congo Brazzaville, moving to 8 points.
Elsewhere in Africa, Sudan also made headlines in the AFCON qualifiers with a remarkable 2-0 victory over Ghana in a Group F encounter held at the Martyrs Stadium in Libya.
Second-half goals from Amed Hamed Mahamed and Mohamed Abdelrahman pushed Sudan to 7 points, keeping their qualification hopes alive with two games to spare.
Angola, who lead the group with 9 points, were set to face Niger later.
In Group H, DR Congo sealed their qualification for AFCON 2025 after a 2-0 win against Tanzania at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
Meshak Elia netted two late goals, ensuring DR Congo’s place in the tournament, while Tanzania remains second in the group with 4 points.
Guinea, in third with 3 points, were yet to face Ethiopia, who sit at the bottom of the table.
Teams from the CECAFA Zone, including Burundi and Kenya, faced tougher outcomes in their recent matches.
On Sunday, Burundi fell to Burkina Faso 2-0, while Kenya suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Cameroon on Monday in a match held at Uganda’s Nelson Mandela Stadium in Kampala.
