FIFA has released the pots for the African qualification draw for the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by United States of America, Canada and Mexico.
The Uganda Cranes have been placed in Pot 3 and could among others face their longtime rivals Tanzania and Rwanda as both countries pitted in group 4 and 5 respectively.
The draw, scheduled to take place on Wednesday July 12, 2023 to determine the groups for the qualifying campaign leading up to the expanded 2026 tournament.
This means Uganda would potentially come up against countries in pot 1 such as Nigeria, Morocco, Senegal, Algeria, Tunisia, Cameroon, Mali, Egypt, Ivory Coast and in Pot 2; Ghana, Burkina Faso, South Africa, Cape Verde, DR Congo, Guinea, Zambia, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea
The qualifying draw will see the countries placed into nine groups of six teams each. The group winners will earn direct qualification to the 2026 World Cup.
However, the four best second-placed teams will compete in a mini-tournament, with the winner advancing to an intercontinental playoff.
Uganda has never played at the FIFA World Cup finals.
Below are the pots
Pot 1: Senegal, Morocco, Nigeria, Algeria, Tunisia, Cameroon, Mali, Egypt, Ivory Coast
Pot 2: Ghana, Burkina Faso, South Africa, Cape Verde, DR Congo, Guinea, Zambia, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea
Pot 3: Angola, Benin, Kenya, Mauritania, Congo Brazzaville, Uganda, Madagascar, Guinea Bissau, Namibia.
Pot 4: Mozambique, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Togo, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Central African Republic, Malawi, Libya
Pot 5: Niger, Comoros, Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Botswana, Liberia
Pot 6: Lesotho, South Sudan, Mauritius, Chad, Sao Tome and Principe, Djibouti, Seychelles, Eritrea, Somalia
