Uganda will face Ghana in the FIFA U17 World Cup playoffs, it has been confirmed.
The Uganda Cubs failed to progress to the knockout stage of the AFCON U17 after finishing third in Group B, meaning they dropped into the playoff route for a place at the World Cup.
At the tournament, the top two teams in each group qualify for the knockout stages and secure automatic qualification to the FIFA U17 World Cup, while the remaining World Cup slots are decided through playoffs among the third-placed teams.
Uganda were drawn to face the third-placed team from Group D, which concluded on Wednesday.
In that group, Ghana national football team (Black Starlets) defeated South Africa 3-1 and finished level on points, goal difference, and goals scored with Algeria, while Senegal topped the group with six points.
With teams tied across all key metrics, a draw of lots was used to determine final positions. Algeria won the draw to finish second, while Ghana were placed third.
This outcome sets up a playoff between Uganda Cubs and Ghana on Saturday, May 23, at the Mohammed VI Football Academy (Pitch 11) in Salé, Morocco.
The winner of the playoff will qualify for the FIFA U17 World Cup later this year in Qatar.
It is worth noting that Uganda secured their first-ever U17 World Cup qualification last year through the same playoff pathway, beating Gambia 2-1 thanks to a brace from James Bogere.
FIFA U17 World Cup has seen Ghana feature nine times, including winning the competition in 1991 and 1995.
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