Uganda’s Hippos carry East African hopes in AFCON final

TODAY – 11pm 

Uganda 🇺🇬 vs Ghana 🇬🇭 

Nouakchott, Mauritania | CAF ONLINE & THE INDEPENDENT | History beckons for Uganda’s Hippos as they become the first East African team to contest the Total Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final today.

No East African youth team has won the AFCON U20 Tournament before, let alone reach the final.

Like Phillip Omondi’s Uganda Cranes did in the senior AFCON version in 1978 when they eventually faced Ghana, the Uganda’s Under-20 team the Hippos have also surprised many, and walked past potential giants to reach the final.

While all eyes were on leading scorer Omondi in the 1978 final, the focus this time is on Derrick Kakooza, who starred with a hattrick as debutants Uganda continued with their dream run at the Total Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) by beating Tunisia 4-1 in the semifinals on Monday.

Kakooza leads the scorers chat with five goals, and any additional goal will not only seal the prize for the top marksman, but could hand Uganda an astonishing debut win.  Ghanaian Preciuos Boah is second on the charts, with three goals.

Hippos Head Coach Morley Byekwaso believes it is time for his team to accomplish the mission by winning the trophy. The team can secure a $200,000 (Sh740M) winning cash prize promised by soccer governing body FUFA if they win the tournament.

“We have gone through many challenges but we remained strong.Calmness is the key to our victories since the beginning and we have no pressure. We shall only be fighting to become champions,” he said ahead of the final.

He said Ghana are a good side, but the Hippos believe in themselves and are ready to challenge them.

“Like we have been playing in the previous games, we shall bring out what we are best at doing naturally. We expect a very tough match but it is for us to accomplish our mission by winning the trophy,” said Byekwaso.

Road to the Final

Group A 

Uganda 2-0 Mozambique

Cameroon 0-1 Uganda

Mauritania 1-2 Uganda

Quarterfinals

Uganda 0(5)-0(3) Burkina Faso.

Semifinals

Uganda 4-1 Tunisia

It is not the win but how and against who!!

Yes it is:#TotalAFCONU20 Semi Final

Uganda 🇺🇬 4 vs. Tunisia 🇹🇳 1

Football is not an event, It is a process

It is Our Game, It is Our Country

@UPL @mkainerugaba @KagutaMuseveni @JanetMuseveni @CAF_Media @fifamedia

— Moses Magogo (@MosesMagogo) March 1, 2021

🎥 Highlights: 🇺🇬 🆚 🇹🇳

A goal filled entertaining 90 minutes concludes with Uganda booking a spot in the final! ⚽#TotalAFCONU20 | #UGATUN pic.twitter.com/M39a6wFMPQ

— #TotalAFCONU20 (@CAF_Online) March 1, 2021

Edition	Year	Host nation		Final				Third Place Match
				Champion	Score	Second Place		Third Place	Score	Fourth Place
14	2003 Details	Burkina Faso		Egypt	4 – 3	Ivory Coast		Mali	1 – 1 (5 – 4) on penalties	Burkina Faso
15	2005 Details	Benin		Nigeria	2 – 0	Egypt		Benin	1 – 1 (5 – 3) on penalties	Morocco
16	2007 Details	Republic of the Congo		Congo	1 – 0	Nigeria		Gambia	3 – 1	Zambia
17	2009 Details	Rwanda		Ghana	2 – 0	Cameroon		Nigeria	2 – 1	South Africa
18	2011 Details	South Africa		Nigeria	3 – 2 aet	Cameroon		Egypt	1 – 0	Mali
19	2013 Details	Algeria		Egypt	1 – 1 (5 – 4) on penalties	Ghana		Nigeria	2 – 1	Mali
20	2015 Details	Senegal		Nigeria	1 – 0	Senegal		Ghana	3 – 1	Mali

Edition	Year	Host nation		Final				Third Place Match
				Champion	Score	Second Place		Third Place	Score	Fourth Place
21	2017 Details	Zambia		Zambia	2 – 0	Senegal		Guinea	2 – 1	South Africa
22	2019 Details	Niger		Mali	1 – 1 (3 – 2) on penalties	Senegal		South Africa	0 – 0 (5 – 3) on penalties	Nigeria
23	2021 Details	Mauritania		Ghana/ Uganda	TBD	Uganda/ Ghana		Gambia	0 – 0 (4 – 2) on penalties	Tunisia

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ADDITIONIAL SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA & FUFA.CO.UG