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Salim Magola returning in goal, has kept two clean sheets for Uganda Cranes
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Sports Desk
The national senior men’s football team, the Uganda Cranes, have enjoyed a rich run of form in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers, winning three consecutive games against Guinea, Mozambique, and Somalia.
This campaign represents Uganda’s quest for a historic first-ever appearance at the world’s most prestigious football tournament, the FIFA World Cup.
While the junior side, the Uganda Cubs, have already made history by qualifying for the December event in Qatar, the senior team’s hopes remain subject to mathematics and permutations, as has often been the case.
UK based defender John Obita has made a promising central defense start for Uganda Cranes
Uganda’s 1-0 victory over Guinea, the emphatic 4-0 win over Mozambique, and the 2-0 triumph against Somalia lifted the Cranes to 15 points from eight matches, placing them second in Group G behind runaway leaders Algeria, who sit on 19 points with two games left.
Under the new qualification format — with the World Cup expanded to 48 teams — Africa will be represented by nine automatic qualifiers (the winners of each group). Four of the best second-placed teams across the nine groups will then battle in playoffs, with the winner earning a continental playoff for a possible 10th African slot.
Allan Okello has so far scored 3 goals in 8 matches for Uganda
As it stands, Uganda is far from securing automatic qualification. They must win their last two matches against Botswana and Algeria while hoping for unlikely slip-ups elsewhere. Although a second-place finish is realistic, finishing among the top four second-placed teams seems a distant prospect.
Uganda’s “Mathematics”
For Uganda to top the group, the Cranes must win their remaining two games — including a daunting away fixture against Algeria. At the same time, Mozambique would need to falter in their final matches against Guinea and Somalia, while Somalia would have to pull off a shock result against Algeria. This scenario, though theoretically possible, looks highly improbable.
Kenneth Ssemakula was pivotal in defensive midfield
The Playoff Route
Uganda’s more realistic route is through the playoffs. With 15 points and a +5 goal difference after eight rounds, Uganda currently sits 7th on the table of second-placed teams.
This means Uganda trails Burkina Faso, DR Congo, Cameroon, Gabon, Namibia, and Madagascar in the second-placed rankings. To break into the top four, Uganda must win their remaining fixtures and hope several of these rivals stumble, while also improving their goal difference.
UK based Toby Sibbick made his debut for Uganda Cranes
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the first to be hosted across three countries — Mexico, Canada, and the United States of America. Whether Uganda can make history by booking their ticket remains dependent not just on performance, but on the mathematics of the qualification table.
Torch Media Africa
