Uganda’s U15 national team, the Rhinos, will fight for fifth place in the Tier C classification at the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival after bouncing back from their quarterfinal disappointment with a commanding 5-1 victory over Benin in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Thursday.
The young Ugandans produced an impressive attacking display in the fifth-place classification semi-final on October 29, scoring five goals to brush aside Benin and keep their campaign alive.
Jefferson Kwikiriza set the tone with the opening goal in the seventh minute before Ethan Bakika Tendo doubled Uganda’s advantage four minutes later.
The Rhinos continued to pile pressure on their opponents, with Rialdo turning the ball into his own net in the 14th minute to make it 3-0.
Mathias Muwonge added Uganda’s fourth goal in the 26th minute, while Angello Kasumba completed the scoring with a fifth in the 32nd minute.
The emphatic victory offered Uganda a timely response after their hopes of progressing further in the main Tier C competition suffered a setback against Belarus.
Uganda had lost 5-1 to Belarus in the Tier C quarterfinals, with Jonah Muwanguzi scoring the team’s only goal in the 34th minute.
Despite that defeat, the Rhinos have continued to show resilience in the classification matches, determined to finish their maiden appearance at the tournament on a positive note.
Wednesday’s victories over Yemen and Japan had kept Uganda’s hopes alive before the quarterfinal loss to Belarus interrupted their progress.
The victory over Benin has now given the young Ugandans another opportunity to fight for a respectable finish, with fifth place in Tier C the target as the tournament progresses.
Having demonstrated their attacking potential against Benin, the Rhinos will look to carry that confidence into the fifth-place final against France and conclude their campaign in Baku on a high.