Uganda ended their 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification campaign with a 2–1 defeat to Algeria in on Tuesday night. The result saw Uganda finish second in Group G with 18 points, level with Mozambique but ahead on goal difference, while Algeria topped the group with 25 points to qualify for the next round.
Steven Mukwala put the team ahead in the 6th minute, and the Cranes held strong until the halftime mark.
Two second-half penalties shifted the advantage to the home side, leading to the final score.
Head coach Paul Put praised his players for their effort and expressed pride in their campaign despite the loss.
‘It was a very tough game. We played against a very good team. But it is hard to lose like this with two penalties because it was the pressure of the public that influenced the referee. Certainly the second one, I think the law says to protect the goalkeeper. But it was a difficult game, we were all surprised.’
‘For the first one, I cannot judge, I have to see the images. It has been a long trip for us, and the boys did everything. They fought and gave their best. We had the best opportunity to score the second goal, but unfortunately we did not. If we had scored, the game would have been finished. But I am proud of the boys.’
‘We finished second with 18 points, which is very good. Now we have to prepare for AFCON. First, we shall play two friendly matches in November to follow up on the players before starting preparations at the beginning of December. There is not much time left. Unfortunately, we could not reach the playoffs, but we shall focus on the upcoming international games.’
Uganda now turn their attention to the 2025 AFCON finals in Morocco, where the Cranes will aim to build on their strong World Cup qualifying campaign.
