U17 AFCON: Kingston keeps faith in Cubs despite Cameroon defeat

Uganda Cubs head coach Laryea Kingston remains optimistic about his side’s chances of qualifying for the FIFA U-17 World Cup despite suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in their second Group B match at the 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (U17 AFCON) in Morocco on Saturday.

🎥 HIGHLIGHTS: 🇨🇲 1-0 🇺🇬

Cameroon get their first three points this edition with a win over Uganda. #TotalEnergiesAFCONU17 pic.twitter.com/y4Laes9i2j

— CAF Online (@CAF_Online) May 16, 2026

The former Ghana international admitted the result was a painful one for Uganda, especially with victory or a draw capable of moving the Cubs closer to automatic World Cup qualification, but insisted the team still has everything to fight for heading into the final group encounter against Ivory Coast.

“We’ve lost match day two against Cameroon, the most important game that would have put us through to the World Cup, but we still have a great opportunity to come back against Ivory Coast,” Kingston said after the game.

He acknowledged that Uganda struggled to settle into the contest early on, allowing Cameroon to grow into the match before eventually finding the breakthrough in the first half.

Cameroon’s decisive moment arrived in the 24th minute when Abdoulraman Soudeisse reacted quickest inside the area after a dangerous delivery from Abas Moussa Cherif caused confusion in Uganda’s defence.

Goalkeeper Ashraf Lukyamuzi failed to deal with the initial cross cleanly before the loose ball fell kindly for Soudeisse, whose effort took a deflection on its way into the net.

Kingston, however, was encouraged by the reaction from his players after the break as Uganda pushed harder in search of an equaliser.

“For me, I think we didn’t start the game well but the second half was much better as we created some chances. Let me give credit to Cameroon because they defended very well,” he explained.

The Cubs had entered the fixture full of confidence following their commanding 3-0 victory over DR Congo in the opening match, but Cameroon responded strongly after their own disappointing start against Ivory Coast.

Kingston also pointed to disruptions within his squad selection as one of the factors that affected the team’s rhythm and momentum.

“We had some issues with some of the players from the starting team against DR Congo, so we changed about two to three players, which is not healthy. It’s not an excuse, but maintaining consistency in the squad is important because too many changes slow momentum down,” he added.

Despite the setback, the Uganda coach believes the Cubs still have enough quality and determination to rise to the occasion against Ivory Coast in the final group game.

“We are now looking forward to Ivory Coast and we shall go all out to make sure we qualify for the World Cup. It’s not going to be easy but we believe in the boys,” Kingston stated.

Uganda remain on three points in Group B and will now shift full focus to a decisive showdown with Ivory Coast, knowing a positive result could still secure qualification to the knockout stages and keep alive their dream of reaching the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar.