Uganda Cranes boosted their hopes of qualifying for the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) for the first time with a commanding 2-0 victory over Niger at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole, on Monday.
Allan Okello and Joel Sserunjogi struck in either half to send Uganda to the top of Group C with six points, two clear of Algeria and South Africa, who have a game in hand.
The hosts made a bright start, with midfielder Enock Ssebagala narrowly missing a header from Herbert Achai’s pinpoint cross in the 14th minute. Uganda broke the deadlock in the 25th minute after VAR awarded a penalty for a foul on Reagan Mpande. Okello’s initial spot kick was saved, but he reacted quickly to nod in the rebound.
Karim Watambala almost doubled the lead minutes later when he set up Jude Ssemugabi for a one-on-one with the Niger goalkeeper, only for the forward to fire wide. Okello continued to threaten, weaving past defenders and nearly assisting Ssemugabi again before halftime.
Ten minutes after the restart, Sserunjogi sealed the win with a rare but expertly taken strike, finishing Okello’s clever pass with precision. His performance earned him an 8/10 rating from analysts, though a yellow card will keep him out of the crucial clash against South Africa.
Uganda’s defence, marshalled by goalkeeper Joel Mutakubwa—who was named CAF Online Man of the Match—stood firm, comfortably dealing with Niger’s attacks. However, the Cranes suffered a setback when Ssebagala limped off injured, replaced by Elvis Ngonde.
Head coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojević’s men will now turn their attention to their final group match against South Africa on August 18, knowing a positive result will all but secure a historic CHAN qualification.
