Uganda Cubs will face Ghana on Saturday May 23, evening in Morocco in a winner takes all playoff for a place at the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
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The decisive match will kick off at 8 pm (Morocco time) and 10 pm (EAT), with the winner joining Africa’s representatives at the tournament due in Qatar this November.
Uganda missed automatic qualification after finishing third in Group B of the ongoing U-17 AFCON with four points.
Ivory Coast and Cameroon secured the direct World Cup spots from the group.
Ghana also finished third in Group D on four points behind Senegal and Algeria, forcing them into the playoff route.
For Uganda, the match brings back memories of last year’s historic qualification campaign.
The Cubs beat Gambia 2-1 in the playoffs to become the first Ugandan national football team at any level to qualify for a FIFA World Cup.
They later impressed in Qatar by reaching the quarterfinals before falling to Burkina Faso.
Now, the Cubs must once again take the difficult route if they are to return to the global stage.
The other playoff will see Mozambique face Ethiopia for the remaining World Cup slot.
Africa will send ten teams to the expanded tournament, with eight nations qualifying automatically through the AFCON quarterfinals while the final two places are decided through playoffs.
The 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar will be the second edition played under FIFA’s new annual format and expanded 48 team structure.
