Uganda will welcome Guinea to the Mandela National Stadium in Kampala on Tuesday as both teams continue their quest for qualification in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Cranes, currently ranked 88th in the world, have endured a mixed campaign, securing two victories while suffering three defeats.
With six points to their name, they occupy the second-lowest position in Group G and must turn their fortunes around to revive their qualification hopes.
Paul Put’s side had a rocky start, losing their opening match to Guinea. However, they bounced back with back-to-back wins over Somalia and Botswana, only for their progress to be stalled by consecutive losses against Algeria and Mozambique—the group’s top two teams.
Despite their struggles, Uganda remain in contention, trailing Guinea by just a single point with five matches left to play.
Guinea, meanwhile, sit in third place in the group standings with seven points. Their campaign began with a narrow 2-1 victory over Uganda, followed by a similar triumph against Algeria.
However, they missed a golden opportunity to gain further ground in the standings after being held to a goalless draw by Somalia earlier this week.
Ranked 202nd in the world and winless in the qualifiers, Somalia were clear underdogs, but Guinea struggled to break them down, failing to secure a crucial win that could have boosted their qualification bid.
Historically, Guinea have had the upper hand against Uganda, winning four of their eight encounters. The National Elephants have also emerged victorious in their last two meetings, securing a 2-0 win in 2014 and a 2-1 victory in their most recent clash in November 2023.
Uganda, on the other hand, had enjoyed a three-match winning streak before suffering two losses in their last three outings. With Guinea ranked 78th—ten spots above Uganda—Tuesday’s clash promises to be a fiercely contested battle as both teams look to keep their World Cup dreams alive.
