CECAFA U17 AFCON Qualifiers
Wednesday Results
Saturday
Semi finals
- Uganda v Ethiopia 1pm
- Rwanda v Somalia 5pm
Uganda’s U17 national team, the Cubs, will face Ethiopia in the semi-finals of the CECAFA U17 Zonal Qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Saturday at Kigali Pele Stadium in Rwanda.
The Cubs advanced as Group B leaders after drawing 1-1 with Ethiopia in their final group match on Wednesday.
Ethiopia took the lead through Zemichael Minyahel Niguse in the 71st minute, but Arnold Kayemba equalised for Uganda six minutes later to secure a point.
Both teams finished with four points from two matches, but Uganda topped the group with a better goal difference.
The Cubs opened their campaign with an 8-0 victory over Burundi, while Ethiopia beat the same opponents 3-0.
Uganda scored nine goals and conceded one in the group stage, giving them a goal difference of plus eight. Ethiopia scored four and conceded one, finishing with a goal difference of plus three.
The result means the Cubs must prepare for another meeting with Ethiopia, who also qualified for the semi-finals as the best second-placed team across the three groups.
Ethiopia will be looking to improve on Wednesday’s performance, while Uganda will aim to build on their strong start against Burundi and find a way past the same opponents who held them to a draw.
In the other semi-final, hosts Rwanda will face Somalia on Saturday
Rwanda secured their place at the top of Group A with six points after winning both matches. They beat South Sudan 1-0 in their opening game before defeating Sudan 2-0 on Wednesday.
Pacifique Bahati scored from a free kick in the 44th minute, while substitute Valentin Tuyizere added the second goal in the second half.
Somalia advanced as Group C leaders after beating Kenya 2-0. Mohamud Osman and Abdullahi Hashi scored for the Somalis, who finished level with Tanzania on four points, with both teams having scored three goals and conceded one.
The CECAFA competitions committee conducted a toss to separate the two teams in line with the competition regulations, with Somalia emerging as group leaders.
The qualifiers feature nine teams divided into three groups of three. Each team plays the other two teams in its group, with the group winners and the best second-placed team advancing to the semi-finals.
The competition will determine the three teams that represent the CECAFA region at the 2027 U17 AFCON in Morocco. The two finalists and the winner of the third-place play-off will qualify for the continental tournament.
Uganda will therefore need to beat Ethiopia to move closer to a return to the continental stage, while Rwanda and Somalia will also be fighting for a place in the final.
Group A
| Team | Points |
|---|---|
| Rwanda | 6 |
| South Sudan | 3 |
| Sudan | 0 |
Group B
| Team | Points |
|---|---|
| Uganda | 4 |
| Ethiopia | 4 |
| Burundi | 0 |
Group C
| Team | Points |
|---|---|
| Somalia | 4 |
Tanzania 4points
| Team | Points |
|---|---|
| Kenya | 0 |
Source: ChampionSport
