Sunday September 7, 2025
A Somalia player challenges a Guinea opponent during a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match at Mandela National Stadium in Kampala, Uganda, on Sept. 5, 2025.
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia will take the field against Uganda on Monday at Mandela National Stadium, hoping to salvage pride from a World Cup qualifying campaign that has already confirmed their elimination.
The Ocean Stars sit at the bottom of Group G with just one point from seven matches, their only reward a goalless draw with Guinea in March. Since then, they have suffered back-to-back defeats to Botswana and Guinea without scoring, extending a drought that has illustrated their limitations in attack.
Head coach Yusuf Ali Nur has used the qualifiers to accelerate Somalia’s rebuilding project, calling up diaspora talent such as Connah’s Quay Nomads midfielder Abdi Sharif, the first Somali to play in England’s Championship, to inject stability and leadership. Goalkeeper Abdirahman Mohamud Jama, who earned his first clean sheet against Guinea, has been another standout in an otherwise difficult campaign.
Goalkeeper Abdirahman Mohamud Jama remains a rare bright spot. Since debuting in June 2024, the 24-year-old has started every qualifier, including the stalemate against Guinea that remains Somalia’s lone clean sheet in the group.
The Cranes, meanwhile, are second on goal difference after their emphatic 4-0 win over Mozambique on Friday. With Algeria leading the group on 18 points, Uganda sit level with Mozambique on 12 points but ahead in the table, while Guinea and Botswana remain in contention. Only the group winners qualify automatically, while the four best runners-up across Africa advance to a playoff.
Uganda head coach Paul Put praised his side’s performance against Mozambique, calling it “one of the best performances the team has had.” He added: “The performance even betters some of the teams in Europe in terms of the level of energies generated, the ball distribution and chances created.”
Forward Rogers Mato, Uganda’s top scorer in qualifying with three goals, scored twice on Friday and remains key to their attack. Somalia will rely heavily on goalkeeper Abdirahman Mohamud Jama, who has started every qualifier since his debut in June 2024 and kept his first clean sheet in the draw with Guinea.
Historically, Uganda have dominated the fixture, winning all five meetings, including a 1-0 victory in Berkane last year. Somalia will again be heavy underdogs, but the Ocean Stars enter the match with the chance to disrupt their regional rivals’ qualifying hopes and to show progress of their own, however modest.
