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Uganda’s return to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) ended in disappointment on Monday evening after a 3–1 defeat to Nigeria’s Super Eagles, officially eliminating the Cranes from the 2025 tournament.
In a must-win Group C encounter, Nigeria asserted their dominance early, scoring two first-half goals to put Uganda under immediate pressure. The situation worsened for the Cranes early in the second half when veteran goalkeeper Denis Onyango was forced off injured. His replacement, Jamal Salim, was shown a red card barely 10 minutes after coming on, leaving Uganda to battle with 10 men.
Nigeria capitalised on the numerical advantage almost instantly, adding a third goal to effectively end Uganda’s hopes. Despite the setback, the Cranes showed resilience and pulled one back in the 75th minute through Rogers Mato, but it proved to be only a consolation.
Uganda concludes the group stage bottom of Group C with one point from three matches, scoring three goals and conceding seven. Nigeria, meanwhile, completed a perfect group campaign with three wins from three matches. Algeria finished second with four points after a 1–1 draw with Tanzania, who placed third with two points.
The exit marks a bittersweet end to Uganda’s first AFCON appearance since 2019, when they reached the knockout stage before losing to Senegal. While the 2025 journey ends prematurely, focus now shifts to the future, with Uganda preparing to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations alongside Kenya and Tanzania.
For the Cranes and their supporters, AFCON 2025 may be over, but the road to 2027 has firmly begun.
