Uganda head coach Paul Put has urged his players to move past the disappointment of their previous match and focus on their upcoming clash against Nigeria, SportPremi reports.
The East-African country started their campaign at the 2025 African Cup of Nations in Morocco with a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Tunisia last week.
The Cranes were also held to a 1-1 draw by Tanzania in their second game in Group C, leaving them with just a lone point after two games so far.
Despite a dominant performance with 55% possession and 14 attempts on goal, including six on target, they were only able to hit the back of the net once in the clash.
The Taifa Stars took the lead in the 59th minute as Simon Msuva scored from the penalty spot after a handball in the box by Uganda defender Baba Alhassan.
Uche Ikpeazu, who was previously eligible to play for Nigeria, then grabbed an equalizer for the Cranes in the 80th minute of the game.
However, Uganda would also have themselves to blame as Allan Okello missed a penalty kick in stoppage time, which could have sealed maximum points for them.
They reached the round of 16 in their last appearance in 2019, after finishing second in Group A, before they were ousted by eventual runners-up Senegal.
Up next is the clash against the Super Eagles at the Fez Stadium, where a win would book their ticket to the next round of the competition.
Paul Put shifts focus to Nigeria clash
For Paul Put, it is a must-win encounter when Uganda takes to the field against Nigeria in their clash later tomorrow.
While speaking to the press, the Belgian expressed disappointment over the result in their previous outing and maintained that the team is focused on their next match.
“I think we didn’t deserve a draw. I think we had more opportunities. If you look at the ball possession, we had more of it. We also missed a penalty which is very painful but that is a part of football”, the Uganda boss said.
“We have a very young team so my responsibility is also to build a team for 2027 because we are the host country. I spoke to the players and informed that they we need to keep the belief.
“You have to play until the last game. Yes we are disappointed, but we need to reset the mindset and prepare for the match against Nigeria which we know will not be easy”, he added.
Uganda are unbeaten in their last three matches against Nigeria, but face a very tough test ahead of their clash tomorrow and must produce a shock result if they are to remain in the tournament.
