Sixteen-year-old Sebastian Quinn Fischer scored a hat-trick on his debut as Uganda thrashed Burundi 8-0 in their opening match of the AFCON U17 Qualifiers in Kigali, Rwanda, on Saturday.
Fischer, like his 18-year-old brother Olly, was born in Scotland but is eligible to represent Uganda through their mother, Kate, who was born in the East African nation.
Coming off the bench, Fischer made an immediate impact, heading home Uganda Cubs’ fifth goal from close range after a well-weighted cross from Junior Afoyrwoth.
He completed his brace after being played through on goal, rounding the goalkeeper before calmly slotting the ball into the net. The youngster then sealed his hat-trick in the 90th minute, racing onto a long ball before firing home to cap a memorable debut.
Arnold Kayemba opened the scoring in the 19th minute, heading home a superb cross from Afoyrwoth. The duo combined again just two minutes later, with Kayemba doubling Uganda’s lead following a swift counterattack.
Arafat Ibanda made it 3-0 with a neat, sweeping finish from inside the penalty area before Nicholas Kawooya added the fourth with a finish from a tight angle shortly before half-time.
Fischer’s introduction further strengthened Uganda’s dominance, while Afoyrwoth capped an impressive performance by getting his name on the scoresheet with a well-taken goal in the 73rd minute.
The emphatic victory gives the Uganda Cubs a perfect start to their Group B campaign, which also features Ethiopia.
Nine teams are competing for three qualification slots at next year’s AFCON U17 finals in Morocco, making Saturday’s commanding performance an encouraging opening statement from Uganda.
Post a comment