David GOMBE
Uganda Cubs suffered a 2-1 defeat to Zambia in their final group A contest of the ongoing U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) at the Ziaidi Sports Complex in Morocco.
Kelvin Chipelu and Billy Daka earned Zambia a hard fought victory over the Uganda Cubs who were dominant on the night.
Elvis Torach’s second half strike could only turn into a consolation for the Cubs who missed out on a direct ticket to this year’s U-17 World Cup.
Chipelu gave the Zambians the lead in the first half after a miscommunication from the Cubs defense.
Four minutes after the recess, Torach restored parity for the Uganda Cubs who needed a victory to secure a dream World Cup ticket.
Despite the Uganda Cubs dominance, it was Zambia who smiled to maximum points when Daka who had missed a penalty in the 67th minute netted the winner with four minutes to regulation time.
Zambia join Morocco in the AFCON U-17 Quarterfinals and also seal tickets to this year’s World Cup.
For Uganda Cubs, their journey in the AFCON U-17 ends but will now have to play a playoff match with the team that will finish third in Group C that has Tunisia, Senegal, The Gambia and Somalia for a U-17 World Cup ticket.
The playoff match is set for 12th April 2025.