It's a victory worth far more than three points for Cameroon. On May 16, 2026, the U17 Lions defeated Uganda 1-0 in the second match of Group B of the U17 Africa Cup of Nations. This success ends a seven-year drought in the final phase of this competition and puts Cameroon back in the race to qualify for the FIFA U17 World Cup, scheduled to be held in Qatar in November 2026.
The last victory of the Young Lions in a group match of the U17 AFCON was in 2019, in Tanzania, where they beat Morocco (2-1) before winning the title. Since then, Cameroon had failed to win a single match in regular time, accumulating seven matches without a win (4 draws, 3 losses) and displaying offensive difficulties.
Against Uganda, the young Cameroonians showed a new determination. In the 25th minute, Abdoulraman Soudeisse scored the decisive goal with a deflected shot, giving his team the advantage. This goal allowed the Cameroonians to control the match with surprising maturity and secure a valuable victory.
This victory is all the more important given the situation in Group B. On the first day, Cameroon lost to Côte d'Ivoire (0-2), while Uganda impressed by beating DR Congo (3-0). The victory against Uganda therefore completely revives Cameroon's chances of qualifying.
In the other match of the second day, Côte d'Ivoire beat DR Congo (1-0), further complicating the situation for the Congolese. Thus, before the final day, Côte d'Ivoire is at the top of the group, while Cameroon is in a position to fight for second place, synonymous with qualification for the quarter-finals and potentially for the U17 World Cup.
Cameroon will therefore face DR Congo in a decisive match. The Congolese, with their backs to the wall after two defeats, will have no choice but to win. A victory would secure Cameroon's second place in the group and a place in the quarter-finals. The FIFA U17 World Cup will be held in Qatar from November 19 to December 13, 2026. The pressure is on the young Cameroonians, but the hope of qualifying for the Qatari World Cup is now allowed.
