Uganda Cubs coach Laryea Kingston wants his players to maintain their progress and deliver over 90 minutes when they face Ethiopia in Saturday’s semi-final of the CECAFA U-17 Zonal Qualifiers in Kigali, Rwanda.

With a place in the final and qualification for the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) at stake, Kingston is confident his side is ready for the challenge but insists they must respect their opponents and stick to their game plan.

“[With] a ticket to the AFCON [at stake], both teams are coming up to make sure they get a win in that game,” Kingston said ahead of Saturday’s clash at Kigali Pelé Stadium.

“But the boys are looking sharp. We have a very good game plan, and we believe it can work. If it doesn’t, we try to find other solutions. Looking at the squad and the preparation we’ve done, we have confidence.”

Uganda finished top of Group B with four points, ahead of Ethiopia on goal difference. The Cubs opened their campaign with an 8-0 demolition of Burundi before drawing 1-1 with Ethiopia on October 14.

Ethiopia also collected four points, having beaten Burundi 3-0 before sharing the spoils with Uganda. Zemichael Minyahel, Akrem Abduselam and Abdisa Gutema scored against Burundi, while Minyahel was on target against the Cubs.

Arnold Kayemba scored Uganda’s equaliser in the group-stage meeting, setting up another contest between the sides, this time with a place in the final at stake.

Kingston is keen to avoid a repeat of Uganda’s slow start against Ethiopia in last year’s semi-final, when the Cubs eventually won 3-0.

“Last year was very competitive. We did not start the game well. The first half wasn’t too good. In the second half, we started controlling the game the way we wanted,” he said.

“But we want to control the game throughout the 90 minutes. We don’t want to have a game of two halves.”

The coach believes Uganda have improved since the start of the tournament and hopes that progress will show against Ethiopia.

“When you look at the two games we played, you can see improvement in the performance. Individually, the players are growing, and collectively, the team is much better,” he said.

“Hopefully, tomorrow we can improve from where we stopped in our last game against Ethiopia.”

Despite Uganda’s strong record against their opponents, Kingston expects a tough encounter and has warned his players not to underestimate Ethiopia.

“They have a very good team and have played very good football. We’ve managed to see all their games. They are a team that can hurt any opponent, so we need to be very careful,” he said.

“But we don’t have to think about them too much. We’re thinking about the game plan we’re bringing on board. We’ll see how they deal with it.”

Five Cubs make group-stage best XI

Uganda’s progress has also been reflected in the selection of five players in the group-stage best XI, an achievement Kingston believes rewards their hard work. These five players are left-back Ukasha Jemba, midfielders Henry Muhoozi and Arnold Kayemba and forwards Nicholas Kawooya alongside Junior Ofoyrwth.

The coach credited the players for their commitment during preparations and urged them to maintain their standards as the tournament enters its decisive stage.

“The decision is well respected, and I give credit to the boys who made it. It doesn’t come easy,” he said.

“We know what we took them through: the sleepless nights, waking up in the early hours and working hard in training. I think it’s paying off. I congratulate them and urge them to keep going.”

Kingston wants more players to earn individual recognition but insists the team’s main priority is securing qualification.

“We have two more games to the final, but tomorrow’s game is very important. We expect them to maintain their positions and hope to see more players in the final XI, winning individual honours and also as a team,” he said.

“I’m happy to see them in the best XI. If we win the semi-final, that means we’re back at the AFCON U-17.”

Cubs target third straight AFCON qualification

Beyond Saturday’s match, Kingston wants Uganda to establish consistency at major youth tournaments.

The Cubs are targeting their third consecutive U-17 AFCON qualification after reaching last year’s continental tournament and progressing to the FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Those achievements have raised expectations, and Kingston knows the team must maintain that standard.

“It’s very important. We need consistency in our performance and in appearing at all the major competitions,” he said.

“Last year, we were at the AFCON and also made it to the World Cup. So we’ve already raised the bar to that level.”

The coach believes Ugandans now expect the Cubs to return to the continental stage and says the technical team is working hard to deliver.

“I believe Ugandans will not accept anything other than repeating it. We have pressure on ourselves. A lot of people expect us to get back to the AFCON, and I would love to see the team there again,” he said.

“It’s very important to keep appearing in major competitions because this is a development group. The more you appear in major competitions, the better for the country.

“We’re putting pressure on ourselves because that’s the bar. We need to get there or go above it.”

Alongside qualification, these two sides have the top scorers of the tournament so far with Uganda’s Arnold Kayemba and Sebastian Fisher Quinn on 3 goals, while Zemicheal Minyahel of Ethiopia comes in third with two goals. 

History favours Uganda

Uganda have enjoyed success against Ethiopia in previous CECAFA youth competitions.

In December 2020, the Cubs beat Ethiopia 3-0 in the semi-final at Umuganda Stadium in Rubavu, with Oscar Mawa scoring twice and Ivan Irinimbabazi adding the other goal.

Uganda also won a regional final listed in the historical record as November 2019/December 2018, beating Ethiopia 3-1 through Samson Kasozi and Idd Abdul Wahid, who scored twice. Mintesnot Wakjira scored Ethiopia’s goal.

Ethiopia, however, claimed a 1-0 victory in the August 2018 CAF U-17 Regional Qualifiers group stage at Chamanza Stadium in Tanzania, with Wakjira scoring in the 13th minute.

Last year, Uganda again beat Ethiopia 3-0 in the semi-final, with Lorian Lwesibawa scoring twice and Thomas Ogema adding the third goal at Abebe Bikila Stadium.

The latest meeting ended 1-1, showing the challenge awaiting the Cubs on Saturday. In the other semi-final, hosts Rwanda will face Somalia.

Three teams will qualify for the 2027 U-17 AFCON from the CECAFA zone. The three group winners and the best second-placed team advance to the semi-finals, while the finalists and the winner of the third-place play-off secure the available tickets.

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Ramil Bation III converted a penalty to propel defending champion University of the Philippines to a narrow 1-0 victory over University of the East in the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Men’s Football Tournament on Thursday at the UP Diliman Football Stadium.

The fourth-year forward broke the deadlock in the 36th minute, capping the Fighting Maroons’ relentless pressure on the Red Warriors’ defense.

Josh Garces had an opportunity in the buildup but was brought down by Carlo Gomez, earning UP a penalty that Bation calmly converted.

(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team

The Fighting Maroons continued to press forward, with Cian Galsim causing problems down the flank. However, his deliveries failed to find their intended targets as UP struggled to capitalize on its attacking opportunities.

Despite securing all three points, UP head coach Popoy Clarino admitted that his team fell short of expectations, particularly in terms of decision-making and teamwork.

“We didn’t play to the standards that we wanted. We were very selfish in our decisions and our actions. We need to learn how to be more, to be selfless, to be of service to others first, to make sure that every action I make, my teammate can get better. If we play like that against FEU, we will have a hard time,” said Clarino, a fourth-year head coach.

“We need to be more conscious of making sure that every action that we make, my teammate will benefit from it,” he added.

(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team

UP remained in third place with seven points and a goal difference of plus-two. The Fighting Maroons will next face Far Eastern University on Sunday at 7 p.m. in a rematch of last season’s Finals.

Adamson University and De La Salle University continued to occupy the top two spots in the standings with 12 and nine points, respectively, with two matchdays remaining in the first round.

Despite suffering another defeat, UE showed renewed resolve on the defensive end, with Jhenard Cimat leading the Red Warriors’ resistance.

UE will continue its search for a breakthrough victory when it takes on the University of Santo Tomas Golden Booters on Sunday at 4:30 p.m.

The post Bation’s penalty lifts UP past UE, remains third in UAAP men’s football appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.

Marvin Oshaba marked his NEC FC debut with a goal as the Diehards beat Kigezi Homeboyz 2-0 at Rwamwanja Stadium in Kamwenge on Wednesday, earning praise from head coach Badru Kaddu.

The forward, who joined NEC from Maroons FC in September on a three-year deal, scored in the 67th minute to seal the Uganda Premier League victory and keep his new side firmly in the title race.

Allan Mugalu had put NEC ahead in the 35th minute with a powerful header from a corner before Oshaba doubled the lead after the break.

Kaddu was pleased with his players’ determination to collect maximum points away from home, insisting that such performances would be vital in their pursuit of trophies.

“Everyone who wants victory does everything possible to win an away match. We did everything possible and scored in either half. If we continue this way, we can compete and win trophies,” Kaddu said.

Despite facing a side at the bottom of the table, the NEC coach warned against underestimating their opponents.

“One would think a team at the bottom is weak, but in this league, there is no weak team. Kigezi gave us a big challenge, but we managed to get the three points,” he said.

Kaddu was also pleased that his players followed the game plan, although he believes they must improve their finishing.

“My boys stuck to the plan, though we still have a problem executing our chances. But we can build on the three points from Rwamwanja,” he added.

Oshaba’s debut goal was a welcome start for the 27-year-old, who arrived from Maroons after finishing as their leading scorer in the 2026 FUFA Super 8 tournament.

Kaddu expects the forward to offer more than goals, pointing to his ability on the ball and his contribution to the team’s attack.

“Expect a lot from Oshaba. He can score and also play well with the ball. He has shown us a bit of what he can do and the responsibility he carries,” Kaddu said.

“We thought he could score at least three goals, but we can go with that.”

Oshaba had already scored a league goal for Maroons before his transfer, taking his tally for the 2026/27 season to two goals across the two clubs.

Kaddu believes NEC have the quality to challenge the teams above them and urged his players to maintain their ambition.

“We prepared the players to compete this season. Though we still have some teams above us, we can go past them. We are not giving up,” he said with a smile.

The victory lifted NEC to second place with 14 points, level with leaders SC Villa but behind on goal difference. They remain unbeaten after six matches.

Kigezi Homeboyz, meanwhile, stayed bottom with one point and are still searching for their first win of the season.

NEC goalkeeper Hannington Ssebwalunyo was named Man of the Match after keeping a clean sheet, while forward Fahad Bayo made his first start for the club.

NEC visit BUL FC at the FUFA Technical Centre in Njeru on October 21, while Kigezi Homeboyz host Entebbe UPPC at Rwamwanja on October 22.

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