AFCON 2025. Why did Uganda play all three of its goalkeepers in the match against Nigeria?
Defeated by Nigeria on Tuesday, December 30th (1-3) and eliminated from the Africa Cup of Nations, Uganda experienced a highly improbable situation in their final group match. Paul Put’s Cranes fielded all three of their goalkeepers in this game against the Super Eagles. Why?
The starting goalkeeper, Denis Oyango, wearing the captain’s armband, quickly felt pain in his left foot. He remained on the pitch for the first half, but the Ugandan goalkeeper was eventually substituted at halftime. His backup, Salim Magoola, took over.
Salim Magoola’s huge blunder
But ten minutes later, the Al Hilal Omdurman player from Sudan was sent off. Guilty of handling a shot from Victor Osimhen outside his penalty area, the 30-year-old goalkeeper received a deserved red card.
From then on, the Cranes’ third-choice goalkeeper, Nafian Alionzi, was called upon to enter the game at Alhassan Stadium. Reduced to ten men and with their third-choice keeper, Uganda conceded twice more to goals from Raphael Onyedika. Rogers Mato’s goal to pull one back made no difference; Paul Put’s men were eliminated from the Africa Cup of Nations after this 1-3 defeat . Their opponents that evening, Nigeria, continue their journey and will face the third-placed team from Group F in the round of 16: either Cameroon or Mozambique.