Boukhalfa, Algeria: Uganda Cranes’ 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification hopes now hang by a thread as they prepare to face group leaders Algeria in their decisive Group G clash on Tuesday, October 14, at the Stade Hocine-Aït-Ahmed in Boukhalfa.
The Cranes, who arrived in Algeria on Saturday, are fully aware that only a convincing victory can keep their faint playoff hopes alive in a group dominated by the North African giants.
Uganda’s glimmer of hope was reignited on Independence Day, when Jude Ssemugabi’s 54th-minute header off an Allan Okello corner secured a crucial 1–0 away win over Botswana in Francistown, a result that gave maximum points and a mathematical chance of progression.
Algeria, who have already sealed qualification with a game to spare, remain firm favourites. Their only stumble came in June 2024, when they suffered a 2–1 defeat to Guinea, but they have since maintained dominance in both home and away fixtures.
Tuesday’s showdown will determine Africa’s nine direct qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. However, the battle for the intercontinental playoff slot, reserved for the four best runners-up, remains wide open.
With the World Cup expanding to 48 teams, Africa will send nine teams directly and one additional nation through the playoff, scheduled for November 13–16, 2025, in Morocco.
Uganda currently sits seventh among the second-placed teams with 12 points after CAF deducted results against bottom-placed Somalia. To stay in contention, the Cranes must beat Algeria by more than one goal and pray that results elsewhere across the continent tilt in their favour.
Gabon, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Cameroon currently occupy the top four runners-up slots, but the standings could shift dramatically depending on Tuesday’s outcomes in other groups.
If Uganda manages the unlikely upset in Boukhalfa, they could still earn a route to Morocco and keep their 2026 World Cup dream alive, a feat that would mark their most historic qualification run since the modern era of CAF competition.
(Daily express)