Uganda’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup ended on Tuesday after a dramatic evening in Algeria, as South Africa secured their place in the tournament with a 3-0 victory over Rwanda in Johannesburg.
The Cranes needed an improbable win against already-qualified Algeria in Group G to keep their slim qualification hopes alive.
They took an early lead through Steven Mukwala’s sixth-minute strike and showed resilience throughout the match. But heartbreak struck late in the desert.
Mauritian referee Ahmad Imtehaz Heeralall awarded two late penalties that crushed Uganda’s dreams.
Mohamed Amoura converted the first on the 80th minute and repeated the feat in the 99th minute to seal a dramatic 2-1 turnaround for Algeria.
The loss leaves Uganda with 18 points—effectively 12 points when excluding results against the group’s bottom team, Somalia—falling short of a runner-up spot.
Only the best four runners-up from all groups advance to a play-off for a chance at intercontinental qualification.
Meanwhile, Group C delivered contrasting drama. South Africa, whose qualification had been in jeopardy after being docked three points for fielding an ineligible player against Lesotho in March, needed a win and a favour from Nigeria.
Both came through as the Bafana Bafana cruised to a 3-0 victory over Rwanda while Nigeria thumped Benin 4-0.
Benin had arrived in Abuja top of Group C with German tactician Gernot Rohr seeking to punish Nigeria for sacking him but there was only a bad dream awaiting as his new team failed to put up a fight and surrendered not just the top spot but also the runner-up to the Black Eagles.
South Africa’s qualification marks their first appearance at a World Cup since hosting the tournament in 2010.
For Uganda, the late penalty heartbreak in Algeria is a bitter reminder of how thin margins can be in international football—and how close the Cranes came to returning to the world stage.
