On Monday night, the Uganda Cranes powered to a 2-0 victory over Niger at Namboole Stadium, earning another Shs 1.2 billion bonus from President Museveni in the ongoing CHAN 2024 tournament.
The hard-fought win keeps Uganda’s hopes of advancing to the knockout stages alive in the Group C campaign, pushing them to six points from three matches. The result sets up a decisive group clash against South Africa on 18th August.
Head coach Morley Byekwaso stuck with the same starting XI that dismantled Guinea 3-0 in their previous outing, and the players rewarded his trust with another high-energy performance in front of an electrified home crowd.
Uganda started brightly, forcing a corner in the 2nd minute, but momentum briefly dipped when Joel Sserunjogi was booked for a foul in the 7th minute. The breakthrough came in the 20th minute when Enock Ssebagala’s dangerous left-wing cross caused chaos in the Niger box.
Reagan Mpande’s tap-in was blocked by a defender, but the ball struck his hand. After a VAR review, Malian referee Ousmane Diakate awarded a penalty.
Allan Okello’s initial spot kick was saved by goalkeeper Mahamadou Tandja, but the playmaker reacted swiftly to slot home the rebound in the 25th minute, sending Namboole into wild celebrations.
The Cranes nearly doubled the lead in the 32nd minute when Abdu Karim Watambala released Ssemugabi on the right, but his low shot whisked inches past the far post. Niger responded with a double substitution in the 35th minute, bringing on Moussa Kassa and Samaila Danja for extra attacking spark.
The visitors almost equalized five minutes before halftime, but Latif Djibril’s close-range strike flew over the bar. Uganda held firm to take a deserved 1-0 lead into the break.
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