AFCON 2025
Uganda booked their place in the quarter-finals of the African Nations Championship for the first time in history after a dramatic 3–3 draw with South Africa in Kampala.
The Cranes looked comfortable when Jude Ssemugabi fired them ahead in the first half, but Bafana Bafana turned the game on its head after the break.
Ramahlwe Mphahlele equalised soon after the restart, before Thabiso Kutumela and Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo struck to give the visitors a 3–1 lead with just seven minutes left on the clock.
Uganda refused to surrender. Allan Okello converted a penalty in the 86th minute to spark hope, and with the home fans urging them forward, the Cranes snatched a remarkable equaliser deep into stoppage time.
Rogers Torach held his nerve from the spot after a late handball to secure the crucial point that carried Uganda through. The draw left them top of Group C with seven points, finally breaking their long run of group-stage exits in the competition.
In the day’s other fixture, Algeria and Niger played out a tense goalless stalemate in Nairobi. The result ensured Algeria progressed as group runners-up, level on points with South Africa but ahead on goal difference, while Niger bowed out of the tournament.
