KAMPALA, May 28 — Uganda head coach Laryea Kingston has expressed confidence after his team was drawn against some of the world’s top youth sides for the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Uganda secured qualification for the tournament after edging Ghana 8-7 in a penalty shootout during a playoff match at the ongoing CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations in Rabat, Morocco.
“We are proud as a team to qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup for a second straight year,” said Kingston.
Uganda, the 10th African nation to qualify for the tournament, has been placed in Group C alongside Argentina, Australia and Denmark.
“The group we are placed in excites me because I am confident we have what it takes to build and prepare a team that is capable of qualifying out of the group to the knock-out rounds,” Kingston told Xinhua.
The former Ghana international said his players would show the same determination against global opponents as they did against some of Africa’s strongest youth teams in Morocco.
Kingston stressed that qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup was achieved through determination and belief in the team’s style of play. “We must now make sure we prepare well enough ahead of the FIFA U-17 World Cup so that we have a team that is ready to take on any opponent,” he added.
The coach added that the team plans to hold an early training camp outside Uganda and arrange several friendly matches to improve match fitness and strengthen squad cohesion. “Our target will be to perform better than the last performance last year where the Uganda Cubs reached the group of 16,” he explained.
The 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup, the 21st edition of the tournament, will feature 48 teams and will be held in Qatar from Nov. 19 to Dec. 13.
Other African teams that have qualified for the tournament include Tanzania, Morocco, Algeria, Mali, Cameroon, Senegal, Egypt, Cote d’Ivoire and Mozambique. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
