Kenya’s U17 AFCON hopes dashed by Uganda in heavy defeat
Kenya's U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification campaign came to a devastating end after a 5-0 defeat to Uganda in the CECAFA qualifiers. The young Harambee Stars needed a win to progress but were overwhelmed by a dominant Ugandan side, marking their second consecutive loss in Group A.
Kenya’s hopes of qualifying for the U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) came to a crushing end after a 5-0 defeat to Uganda in the CECAFA qualifiers. The heavy loss marked the end of Kenya’s campaign, having also suffered a 1-0 loss to Tanzania in their opening match.
The Junior Stars needed an outright win in their final Group A match to keep their qualification hopes alive. However, their sluggish start allowed Uganda to dominate from the outset.
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Uganda took the lead in the 17th minute when James Bogere converted a penalty. The situation worsened for Kenya six minutes before halftime as Isima Magala doubled Uganda’s advantage. Bogere struck again just before the break, completing a first-half brace to give Uganda a commanding 3-0 lead.
The second half offered little respite for Kenya. Bogere secured his hat-trick 10 minutes after the restart, further dashing Kenya’s faint hopes of a comeback. Simon Wanyama added the final blow with 10 minutes remaining, sealing the emphatic victory for Uganda.
With this result, Uganda advanced to the semi-finals, where they will face Somalia. Tanzania, who had earlier secured their semi-final spot with a draw and a win, will clash with South Sudan on Christmas eve.
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