A stoppage-time header turned a tense goalless evening into one of the great nights at Mandela National Stadium, as the Uganda Cranes moved within a single point of AFCON qualification.
The match had looked destined for a frustrating draw, with the visitors defending deep and Uganda labouring against a crowded penalty area for ninety minutes.
Then, with the fourth official’s board already raised, a corner found its man at the near post — and Namboole erupted in a roar that television microphones struggled to contain.
The result caps a qualifying campaign built on defensive discipline: the Cranes have conceded only twice at home, a record the coach called “the foundation everything else stands on.”
“A stoppage-time header sent the Mandela National Stadium into delirium — and put the Cranes one point from…”
Uganda needs a draw in the final round to book its place at the finals. On this evidence, few in the country will be booking anything else that weekend.
