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Uganda completes final piece in East Africa's jigsaw puzzle in Chan quarter finals slots
Ugandan players celebrate at their 3-3 draw with South Africa in the final Group 'C' match at the 2024 African Nations Championship at Nelson Mandela National Stadium in Namboole, Kampala, on August 188, 2025.
What you need to know:
- Uganda qualified as the top team in Group 'C' after staging a dramatic comeback to hold South Africa 3-3.
- It is the first time in seven appearances that Uganda have reached the competition’s knockout stage.
Uganda on Monday evening joined co-hosts Kenya and Tanzania in booking a ticket to the quarter-finals stage of the 2024 African Nations Championship (Chan).
And just like Kenya and Tanzania, Uganda qualified as the top team in Group 'C' after staging a dramatic comeback to hold South Africa 3-3 on Monday night at the 45,000-seater Mandela National Stadium in Kampala.
In the group’s other match played at the 18,000-seater Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi, Algeria also booked their place in the quarters after settling for a barren draw with Niger, a result that saw finishing second in Group 'C'.
President William Ruto hugs Harambee Stars striker Ryan Ogam after Kenya beat Zambia 1-0 in a Group 'A' match of the 2024 African Nations Championship at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani in Nairobi on August 17, 2025.
With two wins, a draw and loss, Uganda topped the group with seven points, one more than Algeria who won one match and drew three. South Africa also finished six points but with an inferior goal difference to Algeria. Guinea wound up with four points while Niger finished bottom of the group with two points.
Only the top two teams in each of the groups will progress to the quarter finals.
It is the first time in seven appearances that Uganda have reached the competition’s knockout stage.
However, breaking that jinx did not come easy for the Cranes as they had to fight tooth and nail against Bafana Bafana.
Uganda had gone ahead in the 31st minute through Jude Ssemugabi, a lead they protected until halftime. However, after the break, South Africa struck twice through Ramahlwe Mphahlele and Thabiso Kutumela in the 52nd and 58th minutes.
Midfielder Ndlondlo Ndabayithethwa extended South Africa’s lead with an 83rd minute strike that stunned a partisan home crowd.
It all seemed like Uganda were headed for an another early exit as they trailed 3-1 with less than five minutes to play.
Then drama unfolded just after some of the Ugandan fans began streaming out of the stadium. Two late penalties by Allan Okello and Rogers Torach in the 88th and 96th minutes turned the match on its head as Uganda salvaged an improbable draw that saw South Africa tumbling out.
Tanzania forward Abdul Suleiman 'Sopu' (right) and fullback Shomary Kapombe celebrate a goal against Burkina Faso in a Group 'B' match of the 2024 African Nations Championship at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, Dar es Salaam on August 02, 2025.
In their last quarter final match, scheduled for Saturday, Uganda will face the team that finishes second in Group ‘D’. On the same day, Algeria will clash with the team that will finish top in Group ‘D’.
The last Group ‘D’ matches will be played on Tuesday evening with defending champions Senegal facing Sudan at Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar from 8pm.
In the group’s other match, Nigeria, who have already been eliminated from the competition, will clash with the Republic of Congo at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
Sudan tops the group with four points, same as Senegal while the Republic of the Congo are third with two points. Nigeria is bottom of the group with no points from two matches.
