U-17 World Cup: Uganda produced character to silence France – Ssenyondo

Uganda U-17 national team coach Brian Ssenyondo has praised the Cubs for their character which helped them to beat France 1-0 in their final group fixture of the 2025 FIFA World Cup in Qatar on Tuesday.

Ssenyondo’s side knew a win was essential to keep their dreams alive, and they delivered with precision and determination. James Bogere was the hero as Uganda clinched their first-ever World Cup win and a place in the Round of 32. Despite defeat, results elsewhere meant France also progressed as group winners.

Bogere, whose goals fired the Cranes to Qatar, provided the match-winner with a beautifully whipped finish into the top-left corner. The Africans continued to have the better of it from there, with Arafat Nkoola hooking an effort off the crossbar. A second never came but one goal proved enough on a historic day for the nation.

France had pedigree but Uganda had character

“This is our first time here and we are out of the group, we beat France. Man… this means a lot. France came second in the last tournament. They had the pedigree, but we had the character. We came here, we played our way and we won,” Ssenyondo told FIFA.com.

France midfielder Soan Ameline labelled Uganda “a good side’ following the defeat: “We’ll take the positives and try to forget the negatives, meaning the defeat against Uganda. It was a tough match in terms of intensity, they were a good team, and we couldn’t manage to win.

“Now we’ll use that experience for the next game, clear our minds and start over, because now it’s a new competition that begins.”

The victory not only guaranteed qualification but also saw Uganda finish third in Group K with four points, behind France and Canada, both also on four points but with superior goal difference.

The Cubs’ journey in Qatar has been defined by resilience. After a 1-1 draw with Chile and a narrow 2-1 loss to Canada, the team entered the match against France with everything to play for.

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