Sitting fourth in a group of six, the Uganda Cranes are three points up alongside Guinea, Botswana, and Mozambique, putting them between the leaders Algeria at six points and Somalia at zero. The Cranes are hoping to work their way up in Group G for the African qualifiers in the 2026 World Cup when the action resumes in June.
Each of the teams in Group G has played two matches so far, hoping to secure the only automatic qualification slot reserved top team in all the nine groups. The four best teams from all the groups will battle for an inter-confederation playoff spot to complete the set of 10 African representatives at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The tournament will be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the US.
For now, the Paul Put-led Cranes understand they have more immediate concerns to address ahead of their upcoming World Cup qualifiers. To start with, Uganda will be hosting Botswana on 6th June at the Namboole Stadium (also known as the Mandela National Stadium) after previously playing their home games outside their country as their stadium underwent refurbishment.
Three days later, the Uganda Cranes went against the group leaders Algeria at the Namboole stadium. The odds for these two games will be available on legal betting sites listed atCheekypunter and the results will give the Belgian tactician Paul Put a clear picture of what lies ahead for them. However, whether Uganda reaches the 2026 World Cup final qualification for the first time depends on their performance against Botswana, Algeria, Mozambique, and Guinea.
Uganda’s World Cup Qualifiers Performance So Far
Uganda kicked off their FIFA World Cup campaign in November, where they faced a 1-2 loss against Guinea Bissau. During the match played at the Stade Du Municipal in Morocco, the Uganda Cranes strived to earn a point by recording a draw. However, a late goal from the West Africans saw Guinea take three points after winning 2-1.
Following their disappointing 2026 World Cup qualifier game, the Cranes faced Somalia four days later and earned a narrow 1-0 win. The game was played in Morocco’s Stade Du Municipal, with Rogers Mato recording the only goal in the match during the first half to earn all three points. However, Somalia ended the game with a 10-man squad after Ahmed Mohammed was sent off at the end of the first half.
Will Uganda qualify for the World Cup?
Whether the Uganda Cranes will make it to the 2026 FIFA World Cup remains a matter of speculation. The Cranes have never made it to the FIFA Men’s World Cup, with their best result being a second-place finish at the 1978 African Cup of Nations. However, manager Put has already announced his 28-man squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
In their upcoming FIFA World Cup qualification matchups, Uganda hopes to challenge Botswana to record three more points before facing group leaders, Algeria. However, the Cranes might have a hard time challenging the Algerians for the top spot in their group. That will significantly reduce their chances of making it to the World Cup, but they can improve their chances if they win their upcoming games against Botswana and Algeria.
