Uganda Cries At Nambole

 

The sun had barely begun to set over Kampala, but the air inside the Mandela National Stadium was already heavy not with heat, but with expectation. Uganda, co-hosts of CHAN 2024, were ready to write history. Their opening match against Algeria had the city buzzing for days.

The whistle blew. The roar was deafening.

But by the 21st minute, the energy shifted.

Avoub Ghezala — tall, quick, and calculating rose above Uganda’s defenders to meet a curling corner. Jacob barely had time to react before the net bulged behind the keeper. 1–0 Algeria. The stadium grew quieter, tension replacing anticipation.

Uganda tried to rally. They pushed forward. The fans clapped, chanted, sang. But Algeria’s midfield, slick and patient, pressed them back.

In the 59th minute, Abderrahmane Meziane received the ball at the edge of the box. He drifted inside with his left, as if tracing invisible lines between defenders. Then bang a left-footed curler bent past the outstretched arms of the Ugandan keeper. 2–0.

Five minutes later, Algeria struck again. Soufiane Bayazid, barely touched the ball all game, snuck in behind the lines and tapped in a clinical third. 3–0. Just like that.

A hush spread across the stands, broken only by the scattered cheers of Algerian supporters.

But Uganda cranes fans stayed standing, they now held tight again. They didn’t boo. He didn’t leave early. He watched the final whistle blow with eyes full of tears