Uche Ikpeazu’s late header earned Uganda a 1-1 draw against Tanzania in a dramatic East African derby at Al Medina Stadium in Rabat, but Allan Okello’s penalty miss in stoppage time denied the Cranes a vital victory.
The Scottish-based striker rose to meet Denis Omedi’s cross in the 80th minute, powering his header into the net to cancel out Simon Msuva’s penalty and secure Uganda’s first point of the tournament. However, the Cranes will rue Okello’s failure to convert from the spot deep into stoppage time, a miss that could prove costly in their quest to reach the knockout stages.
Uganda dominated the first period at Al Medina Stadium, enjoying 59.9% possession and creating the clearer chances, but Tanzania goalkeeper Zuberi Foba and his well-drilled defence proved resilient. The Cranes came closest when Aziz Kayondo’s cross from the left was met by the head of Rogers Mato, whose effort cannoned back off the underside of the crossbar with Foba beaten.
Tanzania, winless in their previous 10 AFCON matches across four tournaments, threatened late in the opening period when Kelvin John rose for a header from the centre of the box. However, Uganda’s veteran goalkeeper Denis Onyango, making his first start of the competition, produced a brilliant save to his top right to preserve parity heading into the interval.
The breakthrough arrived in the 57th minute when Tanzania were awarded a penalty following a VAR review. Baba Alhassan was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the penalty area, presenting the Taifa Stars with a golden opportunity. Msuva, who plays his club football in Iraq, stepped up with confidence and calmly slotted his penalty into the top left corner, sending Onyango the wrong way.
The goal was Msuva’s third at AFCON finals, making him the first Tanzanian player to score at three different tournaments—a significant milestone for the experienced winger who has become his nation’s most reliable attacking outlet.
As conditions deteriorated with heavy rain falling over Rabat, Uganda increased their pressure in search of an equaliser. Their persistence was rewarded in the 80th minute when substitute Omedi, introduced in the 77th minute, whipped in a dangerous cross from the left flank. Ikpeazu, who plays for St Johnstone in the Scottish second tier, timed his run perfectly, rising above the Tanzanian defence to power a header past Foba and spark wild celebrations among the Ugandan bench.
The drama intensified in the dying moments when Uganda were awarded a penalty after James Bogere was fouled inside the box, with Tanzania defender Haji Mnoga of Salford City penalised for pulling the substitute’s shirt. With the match deep into the 90th minute and a huge clap of thunder reverberating around the stadium, Okello stepped up under immense pressure.
The attacking midfielder, perhaps distracted by the dramatic weather conditions, blazed his spot-kick high over the crossbar, allowing Tanzania to escape with a share of the spoils. The miss left Uganda’s coaching staff visibly dejected on the touchline, knowing they had let slip a golden opportunity to claim all three points.
The result leaves both regional rivals on one point from two matches in Group C, trailing Nigeria and Tunisia who both won their opening fixtures. Uganda, who have just one AFCON victory across three tournament appearances since losing the 1978 final to Ghana, face Nigeria in their final group match. Tanzania, meanwhile, must defeat Tunisia to stand any chance of progressing to the knockout stages.
For two nations who will co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations alongside Kenya, this stalemate does little to aid either side’s ambitions of advancing in Morocco. Both teams showed commendable spirit and determination throughout a pulsating encounter, but ultimately lacked the clinical edge required to secure the victory that could have transformed their tournament prospects.
