Uganda and Tanzania Seek to Get Back On Track At TotalEnergies CAF U17 AFCON

Both East African nations suffered heavy defeats in their opening fixtures and will battle for redemption in their crucial Group A encounter at El Bachir Stadium, Mohammedia.

Opening Match Disappointments

Uganda’s U17 national team endured a brutal 5-0 defeat against tournament hosts Morocco, while Tanzania fell 4-1 to Zambia in their opening matches of the TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025.

Historic Rivalry Renewed

This marks only the second meeting between these East African rivals at the U17 AFCON finals. Their previous encounter in 2019 saw Uganda triumph 3-0 against hosts Tanzania in Dar es Salaam, though neither team progressed beyond the group stages.

The qualifiers for Morocco 2025 saw these teams face off twice – a 1-1 draw in group stages followed by Uganda’s 2-1 victory in the final. Notably, Tanzania scored first in both qualifier matches but failed to maintain their advantage.

Uganda Team Analysis

Key Facts and Statistics:

• Suffered their biggest ever finals defeat (5-0 vs Morocco)
• Have now lost opening matches in both their tournament appearances
• Kept only one clean sheet in finals history (3-0 vs Tanzania in 2019)
• Despite heavy loss, made 65 final third entries vs Morocco’s 61
• Faced six shots on target against Morocco (second highest in their history)

Tanzania Team Analysis

Key Facts and Statistics:

• Remain winless in seven finals matches (D1 L6)
• 4-1 loss to Zambia equals their worst finals defeat (3-0 vs Uganda 2019)
• Third time conceding 4+ goals in a finals match
• Managed five shots on target against Zambia (matching opponents)
• Dominant 60% possession and 346 completed passes vs Zambia

Match Preview

The crucial Group A encounter kicks off at 17:00 local time (GMT) at El Bachir Stadium, Mohammedia. Both teams will be desperate for victory to keep their tournament hopes alive after disappointing starts.

Historical data suggests Uganda may have psychological advantage from their 2019 victory, while Tanzania will draw confidence from scoring first in both qualifier matches against today’s opponents.