U-17 AFCON: Uganda coach Ssenyondo takes second-half positives despite heavy defeat
- Ronald Lusulire
- Mar 31
- 2 min read
Uganda Cubs head coach Brian Ssenyondo remains hopeful despite his side’s 5-0 defeat to hosts Morocco in their opening game of the 2025 Total Energies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) at El Bachir Stadium in Mohammedia on Sunday night.
A ruthless Moroccan side took control early, with Ilies Belmokhtar striking in the 3rd minute before Aït Cheikh doubled the lead five minutes later. Ziyad Baha converted a VAR-reviewed penalty in the 23rd minute and Belmokhtar struck again before the half-hour mark to make it 4-0 at halftime.
Despite the difficult first half, Uganda showed significant improvement after the break, demonstrating better defensive shape and moments of attacking intent. However, Morocco’s relentless pressure saw Baha net his second in the 71st minute, sealing a comprehensive victory for the hosts.
Ssenyondo, while acknowledging the defeat, chose to focus on the team’s response in the second half.
“We take the second-half performance as a positive into our next game against Tanzania. We know it will be tough because they are our neighbors, but the character and passion we showed after halftime will be key.”
He also credited Morocco’s quality but emphasized the need to learn and improve.
“It’s not the result we wanted, and I appreciate that Morocco was a good team. We learned a lot from them, especially how they came with a strategy to kill the game early. They were the better side overall and I congratulate them. We didn’t expect this result, but we are going back to correct our mistakes.”
The Cubs now shift their focus to a crucial clash against Tanzania on April 3rd. A win will be vital in keeping their FIFA U-17 World Cup qualification hopes alive.
