Kinshasa, May 13th, 2026 (CPA).– The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) suffered a 0-3 defeat to Uganda on Wednesday at Pitch 8 of the Mohammed VI Complex in Rabat, Morocco, on match day one of Group B of the 16th edition of the Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations. Despite a promising start, the Congolese Leopards created the first clear opportunities of the match but failed to convert them. Exaucé Titi in the 30th minute, followed by Miradi Mombo five minutes later, both tested the Ugandan goalkeeper with well-targeted efforts but were unable to beat his vigilance. While the DRC appeared close to opening the scoring, Uganda capitalized on a defensive lapse to take the lead through Owen Mukiza in the 37th minute, who scored with an outside-of-the-foot cross-shot from the right. The Congolese side was then dealt another blow when goalkeeper Sumbu was forced off through injury and replaced by Hugo Mambote, who was beaten almost immediately as Nicolas Kawooya netted Uganda’s second goal in the 45th minute, giving his side a comfortable two-goal lead at halftime. After the break, the Congolese attempted to respond by multiplying attacking moves. However, despite several promising situations, Denis Makenga’s men lacked precision in the final third and were unable to reduce the deficit. The match was effectively decided in the 80th minute when Mubiru, already booked, received a second yellow card and was sent off. Paradoxically, despite being reduced to ten men, Uganda extended their lead moments later through Absulshakur Babi, who scored the third goal in the 82nd minute
Despite their numerical advantage in the closing stages, the DRC U-17 side failed to find the resources needed to mount a comeback and eventually suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat. The Congolese team will seek to bounce back in their next fixture scheduled for 16 May against Côte d’Ivoire.
Côte d’Ivoire defeats Cameroon (2-0)
The Ivorian players celebrating their victory
Earlier in the day, Côte d’Ivoire defeated Cameroon 2-0 at Pitch 3 of the Mohammed VI Complex in Rabat, in another Group B opening fixture of the U-17 AFCON. The Ivorian goals were scored by Ange Nomane in the 52nd minute and Huber Yao in the 57th minute. Following these results, Uganda leads Group B with 3 points and a goal difference of +3, followed by Côte d’Ivoire with 3 points (+2), Cameroon with 0 points (-2), and the DRC at the bottom with 0 points (-3).
Egypt and Ethiopia draw (0-0) in Group A
Three Ethiopian players face off against two Egyptians
In another Group A encounter played at the Mohammed VI Sports Complex in Rabat, Morocco, Egypt’s Pharaohs and Ethiopia’s Walya shared the spoils in a goalless draw on the opening day of the Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations. Thanks to this result, both teams collected one point each after their first outing in the competition.
Senegal to face South Africa on Thursday in Group D
Meanwhile, in Group D, Senegal’s Young Lions of Teranga will take on South Africa’s Amajimbos on Thursday at 5:00 p.m. at Pitch 8 of the Mohammed VI Complex in Rabat, as part of the opening round of this continental U-17 football competition. At the same time, on Pitch 3 of the same complex, Algeria’s Little Fennecs will face Ghana’s Black Starlets in another Group D opening fixture. In Group C, Mali’s Aiglonnets will face Angola’s Palanquinhas at 2:00 p.m. on Pitch 3 of the Mohammed VI Complex, while Tanzania’s Serengeti Boys will take on Mozambique’s Mambas at 5:00 p.m. on Pitch 13 of the same venue.