ThesuUnder-17 of Uganda national team has completed its preparations for the upcoming U-17 Africa Cup of Nations with a second consecutive victory in Morocco, defeating Mali 1-0 in a warm-up friendly on Friday.
The result followed an earlier 3-1 win over Mozambique and means Uganda head into the continental tournament unbeaten in their pre-competition fixtures. Across the two matches, the team scored four goals and conceded only once.
The latest success came in the city of Mohammedia, where Uganda’s youngsters overcame Mali’s U17 Eagles during their pre-tournament training camp. Forward Ibanda Arafat once again proved decisive, scoring the only goal of the game to secure victory for the Cubs.
His performance continued an impressive run after he scored twice in Thursday’s victory over Mozambique. In that match, Uganda recovered from falling behind to claim a 3-1 win, with Arafat’s brace helping turn the game around before a third goal arrived in the 70th minute.
The back-to-back wins have provided a major boost to Uganda’s preparations ahead of the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations, which begins next week.
The Uganda Football Association (FUFA) celebrated the team’s performances in a message posted on social media after the Mali victory.
“Pre-AFCON U17 Tournament We wind up preparations with two good results! Uganda 🇺🇬 3-1 Mozambique 🇲🇿 Uganda 🇺🇬 1-0 Mali 🇲🇱 Thank you Governmemt of Uganda and FUFA for the camp!Next: AFCON proper next week!” the statement read.
Uganda’s displays during the training camp have underlined the growing confidence within the squad ahead of the tournament. The team showed resilience in the first match by overturning a deficit against Mozambique, before demonstrating defensive discipline against Mali to secure a narrow victory.
Arafat has emerged as one of the standout players during the preparations, contributing three goals across the two matches. His winning strike against Mali ensured Uganda maintained their perfect record in the build-up to the tournament.
The Cubs’ defensive performances will also encourage the coaching staff. After conceding once against Mozambique, Uganda kept a clean sheet in the second encounter against Mali, completing the camp with a positive goal difference and strong momentum.
The two victories cap what has been a successful preparation period for Uganda’s young side as they get ready for the challenges of continental competition. Winning both matches against fellow African opponents is likely to strengthen belief within the squad before the start of the tournament.
Uganda now turns its full attention to the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations itself, with the team hoping its strong form in Morocco can continue when competitive action begins next week.
With two wins from two matches, four goals scored and just one conceded, Uganda’s preparations could hardly have gone better ahead of the tournament opener.
