AFCON 2025: James Bogere’s big life moment

Nobody, no one can predict what transpired through the head of 17-year-old Uganda Cranes’ forward James Bogere when head coach Joseph Paul Put pointed to him to get ready for action at the prestigious 2025 AFCON championship.

Amid unpalatable extreme cold weather conditions at the Stade Olympique de Rabat as Uganda Cranes took on Tunisia, Bogere made the matchday squad.

Uganda had a very slow start to the game, falling to an easy header from Eintracht Frankfurt’s Ellyes Joris Skhiri off an inviting corner kick by Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri (formerly at Manchester United).

FC Copenhagen forward Mohamed Elyes Achouri struck a brace as Uganda trailed 0-3 at some stage.

Bogere’s D-Moment arrived in the 70th minute when the teenager donning shirt 24 was introduced for Steven Desse Mukwala.

The former El Cambio Academy youngster who has been featuring at Masaka Sunshine Football Club (third-tier league), steadily built up confidence, taking on the big men.

He easily controlled the ball, executed a couple of passes, drove and shot the ball.

In one of the key moments, Bogere freely dribbled the ball through Celtic’s Sebastian Tounekti and Sheffield Wednesday’s Yan Valery.

Recently signed by Danish club Aarhus Gymnastikforening, Bogere was also involved in the run that led to Uganda Cranes’ consolation score, scored by substitute Denis Omedi, after Allan Okello released Toby Sibbick for a delivery on the right.

For Bogere, standing at an enviable height of 6 feet 1 inch, this is a big moment in his budding professional career and a start to a new life.

Already, he has featured at the FIFA U-17 World Cup, scoring two goals.

It is the right time to double his effort in team and personal training sessions with the goal to shoot beyond the horizon.

Uganda Cranes still have two more matches in Group C against Tanzania (27th December 2025) and Nigeria (30th December 2025).

Will Bogere earn more valuable minutes at AFCON 2025?