Uganda U20 Men’s National Team, Hippos, made a remarkable start to the CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers after overcoming Djibouti in their first game on Tuesday.
In the game played at the Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Uganda made light work of minnows Djibouti to win 4-1.
Isma Magala Mulala fired Uganda into an early lead, scoring as early as the fifth minute before Djibouti levelled matters in the 23rd minute through substitute Ishak Tahir.
Uganda was able to restore its lead through Genesis Ocen Odiya, who scored at the stroke of halftime.
Captain Richard Okello got Uganda’s third at the hour mark before Magala got his second of the day two minutes later to seal the win.
The Hippos will return to action on Friday with an encounter against Sudan. Victory will mean they progress to the semifinals.
It should be noted that the qualification tournament has three groups, each comprising three teams. The leaders qualify directly to the semifinals, with the final slot taken by the team that ranks best amongst the second-placed teams.
Groups
- A: Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda
- B: Uganda, Sudan, Djibouti
- C: South Sudan, Kenya, Burundi
