Kingston eyes World Cup progress after CECAFA triumph

Uganda Cubs coach Laryea Kingston wants to build on the team’s latest CECAFA triumph as he prepares them for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar and next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

The Ghanaian guided Uganda to the 2026 CECAFA U-17 Championship title after the Cubs beat Somalia 6-5 on penalties following a goalless draw in Monday’s final at Kigali Pele Stadium in Rwanda. The victory also secured Uganda’s place at the 2027 U-17 AFCON.

Kingston believes the team’s progress must lead to long-term development, with talented youngsters nurtured to strengthen Uganda’s future national teams.

“Overall, the performance of the kids has been very amazing. These kids, for me, have made me proud, and I believe they have made Ugandans proud in terms of the way they are playing,” Kingston said.

“It is something we need to build on. We are focusing on how we can put them in the right places so that they can develop well and come to help the country in the future.”

The Cubs started their campaign with an 8-0 win over Burundi, drew 1-1 with Ethiopia in the group stage and beat the same opponents 4-0 in the semi-final before overcoming Somalia in the final.

Despite creating several chances in the final, Uganda failed to score in normal time. Goalkeeper David Ssegirinya then saved three penalties in the shootout to help secure the trophy.

“We tried to unlock them and created a lot of chances, but we could not put the ball at the back of the net,” Kingston said.

“When you are dominating play and do not get the goal you are looking for, the opponent grows in confidence as the game goes on, and then they can hurt you.”

Uganda also collected three individual awards, with captain Henry Muhoozi named Most Valuable Player, David Ssegirinya winning Best Goalkeeper and Arnold Kayemba finishing as the tournament’s top scorer. Somalia finished runners-up, while Rwanda took third place after beating Ethiopia 2-1.

The latest success marks another step in Kingston’s work with Uganda’s youth teams. Appointed by the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) in October 2025 to oversee the men’s U15, U17 and U20 sides, he has been working to establish a common playing style across the teams.

His first CECAFA U-17 campaign ended in disappointment when Uganda lost 3-2 to Tanzania in the 2025 final in Ethiopia. However, the Cubs went on to qualify for the 2026 U-17 AFCON in Morocco.

At the AFCON, Uganda beat Ghana 8-7 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in the play-off, earning a place at the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar. The Cubs will compete at the global tournament for the second consecutive edition after their historic debut in 2025, when they reached the Round of 16 under the guidance of Brian Ssenyondo.

Kingston says sticking to a clear playing identity has helped the youngsters improve.

“Since I arrived in Uganda, they have been very consistent in the way we wanted to play. Sometimes we will be down, but we still stick to the DNA. For me, that is the most important thing.”

The 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup is scheduled for November 19 to December 13 in Qatar. Uganda are in Group B alongside Korea Republic, Ecuador and New Caledonia.

His wider plans also include the Uganda Hippos, the national U20 side, which competed at the CECAFA U-20 Championship in Tanzania in September. Uganda topped their group but lost 3-2 to Sudan in the semi-final, missing out on qualification for the 2027 U-20 AFCON.

“The U20 team was amazing as well. They nearly qualified for the AFCON. I wish we had been there, but it is also about the future. We have two more years to go back there,” he ended