Ghana’s Black Starlets stand in way of Cubs return to U17 World Cup

Kampala, Uganda: Uganda’s U-17 boys national football team, the Cubs, will face Ghana national under-17 football team this Saturday in a decisive FIFA U17 World Cup playoff clash, with qualification for the global tournament in Qatar on the line.

The playoff fixture will be played at 10 pm (EAT), with the winner securing a place at the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup scheduled to take place in Qatar later this year.

Uganda dropped into the playoff route after finishing third in Group B of the 2025 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations with four points, behind Ivory Coast and Cameroon.

Ghana’s Black Starlets also finished third in Group D on four points behind Senegal and Algeria, forcing them into the playoffs after narrowly missing out on a quarter-final place.

The West Africans were eventually eliminated from automatic qualification in dramatic fashion after finishing level with Algeria on points, goals scored and goals conceded. Algeria progressed after winning a drawing of lots conducted to separate the two sides.

Under the tournament format, the top two teams in each AFCON group automatically qualify for both the knockout stages and the FIFA U17 World Cup, while the remaining qualification slots are determined through playoffs involving the four third-placed teams.

Uganda were consequently drawn against Ghana, while the other playoff fixture will see Mozambique face Ethiopia for the remaining World Cup slot.

Africa was allocated 10 qualification spots for the FIFA U17 World Cup. Eight countries already booked their places after reaching the quarter-finals of the continental championship, leaving only two tickets to be decided through the playoffs.

The Cubs head into Saturday’s encounter seeking to continue Uganda’s growing reputation in youth football following the country’s historic appearance at the FIFA U17 World Cup in 2025.

That breakthrough qualification significantly boosted belief within Uganda’s youth football structures, with the current squad now targeting back-to-back appearances on the global stage.

Uganda will also take confidence from last year’s dramatic playoff victory over Gambia, where the Cubs came from behind to secure a 2-1 win and qualify for the World Cup for the first time in history.