By eastafrican gazette
After that challenging night on June 10, 2024, when Algeria secured a 2-1 draw against Uganda in the fourth group match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, many Ugandan fans have already lost hope for their team.
The outcome of this match dashed Uganda’s high hopes, especially after their first win against Botswana.
The match against Algeria was their only chance to automatically qualify for the next group, a calculation they had been relying.
The atmosphere at Namboole Stadium started off with joy and cheers from the crowd, but it ended in disappointment for the thousands of fans who came to support their Uganda Cranes Team against the formidable Algerian opponents.
The sound of vuvuzelas and cheers filled the stadium as the Uganda Cranes relentlessly attacked their opponents.
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They managed to take an early lead with a goal in the ninth minute of the first half, giving fans hope that this could be the moment for the East African football kings to secure a spot in the World Cup qualifiers for 2026.
Travis Mutyaba scored the goal after capitalizing on a defensive mistake by the Algerians. Algeria’s goalkeeper, Anthony Mandera, could only watch as the ball hit the back of the net. The crowd, including the First Lady, who also serves as the Sports and Education Minister, Janet Museveni, renowned football fan and artiste Moses Ssali, and colleague Eddy Kenzo, among other dignitaries, erupted in jubilation.
The phrase “Kiwedde,” meaning “it is finished,” was on the lips of the fans during the 15 miniutes break after the firsthalf time. This was indicating their high hopes after leading with a score of 1-0.
Hopes shattred!
However, Uganda’s hopes were shattered in the second half. For the first 57 minutes, Uganda displayed a spirited attack and defense, but in the 58th minute, Algeria silenced the stadium by scoring an equalizer.
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The atmosphere turned colder when Algeria scored again just minutes before the end of the match making 2-1 against Uganda Cranes.
According to the current qualification format, the top team from each of the nine groups will automatically qualify for the World Cup. This puts Algeria in the lead of Goup G with nine points with Mozambique in the second position by the goal difference.
Uganda has six points tyinng with Botswana are holding the third place due to a superior goal difference, while Guinea edges ahead of Uganda based on their head-to-head results.
The four best runners-up will participate in an African playoff, with the winners advancing to the inter-confederation playoffs to take place in March 2026.
Uganda has never made any appearance in the FIFA World Cup, and their highest achievement in the African Nations Cup was securing the second position in 1978.
What went wrong?
Many fans expressed their admiration for Uganda Cranes’ valiant effort against one of Africa’s football powerhouses. However, some argue that Uganda had an advantage playing on home turf but failed to secure a victory.
According to some sports experts, despite Algeria’s higher ranking and experience, Uganda Cranes had the opportunity to defend their goal and secure three points if they had focused more on their defense.
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Raymond Salaverio, a coach with Karo Club, acknowledged that it was unrealistic to expect an open game against such formidable opponents and emphasized the importance of a strong defense.
However, he also commended Uganda Cranes for their performance against the quality and strength of the Algerian team.
These matches were an opportunity to test their strength and tactical skills against North African teams, who have historically been relatively superior.
Algeria’s victory on home ground continues to highlight the tactical superiority and game management of North African teams.
They employed their usual possession-based style of play and capitalized on Uganda Cranes’ weak defense.
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The consistent success of North African teams against East and Central African teams like Uganda can be attributed to the stability of their squad and coaching staff, unlike Uganda, which had a new squad and manager.
Uganda Cranes has faced challenges in building a reliable national team since the retirement of key players like Dennis Masinde Onyango, Geoffrey Massa, and Hassan Wasswa.
Football critics are questioning why Uganda continues to make the same mistakes against tactical teams like Algeria, suggesting that the team has yet to find a successful approach against them.
Uganda has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup; and their best finish in the African Nations Cup was second in 1978.
That’s football for you-Next Time Better!