Football: Uganda Hippos celebrate winning U-20 CECAFA title in Khartoum
After defeating South Sudan 2-1 in the championship game played on Friday at the Al Hilal Stadium in Khartoum, Sudan, the Uganda Hippos team successfully defended its CECAFA U-20 title.
Football: Uganda Hippos celebrate winning U-20 CECAFA title in Khartoum
After defeating South Sudan 2-1 in the championship game played on Friday at the Al Hilal Stadium in Khartoum, Sudan, the Uganda Hippos team successfully defended its CECAFA U-20 title.
After 15 minutes, Felix Agumemboki Abishai conceded to South Sudan, but Issa Bugembe of Uganda tied the score.
Titus Ssematimba, a midfielder, scored Uganda’s second goal in the second half.
The Ugandan team, which kept the trophy, had nothing but reasons to celebrate. The U-20 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 will feature teams from South Sudan and Uganda.
Head coach of the Uganda Hippos, Jackson Mayanja, told Sports News Africa that his team deserved to take home the trophy. The former Uganda Cranes International player continued, “I am glad that we have kept the trophy and also qualified for the U-20 AFCON next, which will take place in Egypt.
Despite missing four of his key players who tested positive for COVID-19 in the semi-final, according to Mayanja, they were still able to defeat the hosts 2-0.
“I spent a few days getting this team ready, but they worked really hard to play the passing game I wanted them to play. When you are truly playing good football, it feels great to win a trophy, said Mayanja.
The Uganda Hippos defeated Tanzania 2-0 in their opening encounter of the competition before falling to Ethiopia 1-0 in their subsequent Group B match. The Hippos defeated South Sudan 2-1 at the semi-final stage after stopping Sudan 2-0.
The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) President, Eng. Moses Hassim Magogo, vowed to financially compensate all the players and team staff members during a ceremony to welcome the team back to Uganda on Monday.
Our achievement of this new milestone is a momentous occasion. I’d like to use this opportunity to thank the team’s players and coaching staff for returning to the AFCON, said Eng. Magogo.
The Sudan, South Sudan, Djibouti, Tanzania, Burundi, Ethiopia, and Uganda U-20 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 for the CECAFA Zone attracted these nations.
