Latest news with #TotalEnergiesCAFAFCON2027
CAF
27-03-2025
- Sport
- CAF
Uganda coach Paul Put praises brave win over Guinea as World Cup hopes stay alive
Uganda head coach Paul Put has praised his team for their spirited performance following their 1-0 victory over Guinea at the Mandela National Stadium in Kampala, a result that has kept their FIFA World Cup qualification hopes alive. The crucial win, which came courtesy of a 36th-minute strike by striker Allan Okello, sees the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON 2027 co-hosts rise to fourth place in Group G, behind Botswana, Mozambique, and Algeria. Speaking after the match, Put expressed his satisfaction with the team's display, stating that the victory was well-deserved. He noted that Uganda could have extended their lead further, pointing out several missed chances in the first half that could have made the scoreline more comfortable. "We deserved to win, we played well from the first minute and had many chances to score more goals in the first half. I am proud of the team," Put said, reflecting on the hard-fought encounter. The win was a much-needed boost after Uganda's recent setback against Mozambique, where a series of unfortunate events, including conceding simple goals and a red card, had cost them valuable points in their 3-1 loss. Despite the challenges, Put was quick to highlight that his side did not perform poorly in Mozambique, especially after being reduced to 10 men. "We didn't perform badly in Mozambique, but the situations like the simple goals we conceded, and the red card cost us. Generally, we didn't have a bad game, especially when we were reduced to ten men. The boys knew what this match meant, and I am happy they put up a fight and got the positive result," he explained. One player who particularly caught Put's attention was Travis Mutyaba, who has not had consistent playing time at his Norwegian club FK Bodø/Glimt but was impressive during the win over Guinea. Put expressed belief in the young player's potential, stating, "Travis Mutyaba doesn't get the deserved playing time at Bodo, but if he gets them, he can be a mainstay in the team." The Uganda Cranes are now six points behind table leaders, Algeria with four more matches to go.
CAF
05-02-2025
- Sport
- CAF
TotalEnergies CAF AFCON Morocco 2025: East Africa's time to rise
Special focus will be on East Africa's performance at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025, as the region continues to attract attention as hosts of this year's TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship as well as the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON 2027. The Ugandan Cranes alongside the Taifa Stars of Tanzania are the two East African representatives at this year's TotalEnergies CAF AFCON finals set to take place between 21 December 2025 – 18 January 2026. Interestingly, both nations find themselves in a tough Group C that has them pitted against three-time champions, Nigeria as well as 2004 winners, Tunisia. As co-hosts of two of major CAF competitions alongside Kenya, the two nations' performance in Morocco will be under huge scrutiny from not only their fans, but the continent as a whole. The Morocco finals will be just months after their respective hosting of the TotalEnergies CAF CHAN finals, a tournament that will be key for Paul Put (Uganda Coach) and Hemed Suleiman Ali's (Tanzania Coach) charges in preparation for Morocco. Between the two nations, Uganda has had the better showing, with the Morocco finals set to be their eighth. The Uganda Cranes were agonisingly close to being crowned African champions in their fifth appearance back in 1978 where they were edged 2-0 in the final by Ghana in Accra. Since then, Uganda endured a lengthy wait to their next appearance, which only came in the 2017 Gabon edition where they bowed out in the group stages, as well as the 2019 Egypt finals where they could not go past the Round of 16. For the Tafia Stars, who's clubs Simba SC and Young Africans SC have done exceptionally well in CAF Inter-club competitions in recent years – they will be making their fourth TotalEnergies CAF AFCON appearance. Their previous three appearances (1980, 2019, 2023) have all concluded in the group stages. While Nigeria and Tunisia are worthy title contenders, Uganda and Tanzania carry the hopes of the East African region and will both be looking at taking the coveted TotalEnergies CAF AFCON title back to East African soil for the very first time since Ethiopia's 1962 triumph as hosts.
