The final round of qualifiers for the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, Cote d’Ivoire 2023 was set be played across the continent from Wednesday this week up to Tuesday next week.
Uganda recorded a 2-0 win over Niger at the Marrakesh Stadium in Morocco on Thursday, but they still fell short of qualification for the next Africa Cup of Nations.
The Cranes defeated the Menas thanks to first-half goals from Azizi Kayondo and Joseph Ochaya, but the result was only enough to claim third place on the Group F log, with Tanzania securing second thanks to their 0-0 draw away to table-toppers Algeria in a concurrent match in Annaba.
Uganda took control of the game from early on and claimed the lead as early as the 17th minute, with Azizi Kayondo getting on the end of an assist from Fahad Bayo and sending an effort beyond the reach of goalkeeper Naim Van Attenhoven for 1-0.
The Cranes kept up the pressure and were rewarded with a second goal in the 39th minute, as Milton Karisa teed up Joseph Ochaya to make it 2-0 and give the East African side full control of the match.
Uganda controlled the game in the second half, freshening up their attack with the introductions of Rogers Mato and Richard Basangwa in an effort to increase their advantage on the score board.
Yet further goal scoring opportunities were scarce, with the Cranes happy to sit on their 2-0 lead and hope that Algeria could do them a favour in the other Group F match.
Unfortunately for them, Tanzania held the North African giants to a goalless stalemate which rendered Uganda’s win academic, as they missed out on returning to the Nations Cup for the first time since 2019.
Niger 0
Uganda (2) 2 (Kayondo 17’, Ochaya 39’)
NIGER: Van Attenhoven, Yakubu (Djibo 59’), Alhassane, Diabate, B. Abdoulaye, Boueye, Goumey (Amoustapha 71’), Oumarou, Abubakar, Mohamed, Soumana
UGANDA: Magoola, Bwomono, Kayondo, Mugabi, Lwaliwa, Aucho, Byaruhanga, Karisa (Waiswa 83’), Miya (Mato 59’), Ochaya, Bayo (Basangwa 59’).
Meanwhile, the 1990 and 2019 African champions, Algeria qualified as group winners with 16 points, followed by Tanzania on 8 points the Uganda finished third on 7 points.
Four time winners Ghana also booked a berth in the tournament slated for January 13 to February 11 by coming from a goal down to beat Central African Republic 2-1 in Kumasi. Victory propelled the Black Stars, who won the last of their four continental crowns in 1982, a place as group E winners with 12 points, three more than Angola who were held to a barren draw in Luanda by already eliminated Madagascar.
Africa Cup of Nations qualifying action continues with a triple header of action on Friday night. Record seven time champions Egypt host Ethiopia in a group D dead rubber as the Pharaohs qualified as group winners on the penultimate match day. Burkina Faso meanwhile host already eliminated Eswatini in Ougadougou, having already clinched a berth in the finals whereas group G lords Mali will pay homage to the country’s greatest ever player, Salif Keita, when they host South Sudan in Bamako. The 1970 African footballer of the year passed away on Thursday at the age of 76.
A few more places will be up for grabs on Saturday. 1968 and 1972 champions Democratic Republic of Congo can seal qualification from group I if they can overcome 1970 titlists Sudan (Khartoum) in Kinshasa. There is also a winner takes rubber in Mauritania where former African footballer of the year Pierre Emerick Aubameyang’s Gabon face elimination unless they can overcome their hosts. Five time winners Cameroon can clinch qualification if they overcome little Burundi in Yaounde on Tuesday.
Below are the fixtures, the dates and kickoff times of the matches to be played from 6 to 12 September:
6-Sep-2023 Libya 1-1 Equatorial Guinea 22h00 Group J
7-Sep-2023 Angola 0-0 Madagascar 19h00 Group E
7-Sep-2023 Ghana 2-1 CAR 19h00 Group E
7-Sep-2023 Niger 0-2 Uganda 22h00 Group F
7-Sep-2023 Algeria 0-0 Tanzania 22h00 Group F
7-Sep-2023 Tunisia 3-0 Botswana 22h00 Group J
8-Sep-2023 Burkina Faso v Eswatini 22h00 Group B
8-Sep-2023 Egypt v Ethiopia 19h00 Group D
8-Sep-2023 Mali v South Sudan 19h00 Group G
9-Sep-2023 Malawi v Guinea 16h00 Group D
9-Sep-2023 Comoros v Zambia 22h00 Group H
9-Sep-2023 Cote d’Ivoire v Lesotho 19h00 Group H
9-Sep-2023 Mauritania v Gabon 19h00 Group I
9-Sep-2023 Congo DR v Sudan 19h00 Group I
9-Sep-2023 Morocco v Liberia 22h00 Group K
9-Sep-2023 Mozambique v Benin 16h00 Group L
9-Sep-2023 Senegal v Rwanda 22h00 Group L
10-Sep-2023 Nigeria v Sao Tome & Principe 19h00 Group A
10-Sep-2023 Togo v Cape Verde 19h00 Group B
10-Sep-2023 Gambia v Congo-Brazzaville 22h00 Group G
11-Sep-2023 Guinea Bissau v Sierra Leone 19h00 Group A
12-Sep-2023 Cameroon v Burundi 22h00 Group C
NB: All times are in EAT.
