Uganda will have to negotiate regional rivals Kenya and Burundi in their bid to return to the Africa Cup of Nations U20 finals after the Hippos were drawn in Group B of the CECAFA U20 AFCON qualifiers.
The draw places Uganda in one of three three-team groups, leaving little margin for error in a competition where only the two finalists will earn CECAFA’s tickets to the continental finals.
Tanzania headline Group A alongside Ethiopia and Rwanda, while Group C brings together South Sudan, Sudan and Djibouti.
For Uganda, however, the draw presents a familiar challenge as the Hippos attempt to re-establish themselves among Africa’s leading U20 sides following the disappointment of missing the 2025 tournament.
Uganda had established an impressive qualification record before that setback, winning consecutive CECAFA U20 qualifying tournaments in 2020 and 2022.
Their breakthrough came in 2020 when they defeated Kenya 3-1 in the semifinals to secure qualification for the 2021 U20 AFCON before beating hosts Tanzania 4-1 in the CECAFA final.
That qualification produced one of Uganda’s finest performances at a continental football tournament.
Making their U20 AFCON debut in Mauritania, the Hippos reached the 2021 final after victories over Mozambique and hosts Mauritania in the group stages before eliminating Burkina Faso on penalties in the quarterfinals.
They then overwhelmed Tunisia 4-1 in the semifinals, with Derrick Kakooza scoring a hat-trick, before eventually losing 2-0 to Ghana in the final. Kakooza finished as the tournament’s leading scorer with five goals.
Uganda maintained their regional dominance in the next qualification cycle. The Hippos again reached the CECAFA final in 2022 after beating hosts Sudan 2-0 in the semifinals, securing another U20 AFCON ticket before defeating South Sudan 2-1 in the regional final.
That run was interrupted during qualification for the 2025 tournament. Uganda reached the semifinals of the CECAFA qualifiers in Tanzania but suffered a 2-1 defeat to the hosts, who scored late to end the Hippos’ hopes of a third successive qualification.
With only the finalists progressing to the continental tournament, the semifinal defeat meant Uganda missed the U20 AFCON.
The latest draw offers the Hippos an opportunity to return to a stage where they have already demonstrated their potential. It also renews Uganda’s rivalry with Kenya at this level.
The neighbours met at the decisive semifinal stage of the 2020 qualifiers, when Kenneth Semakula and Ivan Bogere, who scored twice, powered Uganda to a 3-1 victory that secured the Hippos’ maiden U20 AFCON qualification.
Burundi will provide the other obstacle in Group B, with every point potentially decisive because each country has only two group matches.
Uganda’s first task will be to secure passage from the group before attention turns to the semifinals, where the stakes become considerably higher.
Reaching the last four will not be enough. The Hippos must win their semifinal and reach the CECAFA final to guarantee their return to the U20 AFCON.
Having reached consecutive continental tournaments before missing out in the previous cycle, the challenge for Uganda’s latest generation is clear: navigate Kenya and Burundi first, then win the match that matters most.