Nigeria’s Super Eagles AFCON 2025 group opponent Uganda lost 3-1 away to Mozambique in Group G of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Thursday.
Uganda went into the game on the back of three consecutive wins.
Mozambique has now gone top of the group on 12 points, and are three points ahead of second-placed Algeria while Uganda remain in fifth place on six points.
In the third minute Mozambique took the lead when Pepo advanced into the box and lashed a powerful shot past Ismail Watenga.
However, the Cranes quickly drew level as Muhammad Shaban equalised with a crisp strike of his own on seven minutes after receiving the ball from Allan Okello.
Parity lasted just nine minutes though, with Pepo getting his name on the scoresheet again thanks to another clinical finish to restore the Mamba’s lead.
Uganda then suffered a setback when Denis Omedi was sent off for bringing down Geny Catamo, having picked up two yellow cards in the space of just five minutes.
Stanley Ratifo wasted little time in making them pay as he beat his marker inside the area before tucking his shot into the bottom corner of the net in the third minute of stoppage time at the end of the first half.
Gildo Lourenco had an early chance to put the game to bed after the restart, but he failed to hit the target from Bruno Langa’s cross 10 minutes into the second half.
The woodwork would come to Mozambique’s rescue five minutes later as Ernan Siluane was well beaten by Jude Ssemugabi’s shot, only for the ball to come off the crossbar.
