The Cranes will take on the Super Eagles in their final group stage fixture, with the Group C encounter scheduled for Tuesday carrying decisive significance for Uganda’s campaign in the 35th edition of the AFCON tournament.
Uganda will go into the fixture knowing that only a positive result will keep their hopes alive, while Nigeria arrive with maximum points from their opening two matches and the confidence of a side that finished as runners-up at the previous AFCON in the Ivory Coast.
'Everything is possible against Nigeria'
"We know we are facing a very good team, who were the finalists in the last AFCON edition. Also, they have performed very well, because they have the maximum of their points,” the Belgian tactician told reporters ahead of the fixture at Fez Stadium.
"The players are willing to give their best for tomorrow’s (Tuesday) game. It’s going to be hard, it’s going to be difficult, but in football, everything is possible.
"We want to stick with the mentality that everyone is beatable and see what will happen."
Speaking on behalf of Uganda players, defender Jordan Obita, who plays as a left-back or winger for Scottish Premiership club Hibernian, said: "The team spirit is very high. We know we need to go into the game for a win.
"So, we cannot go into the game with any fear. We have to go into the game with full belief, and that’s what we’re going to do."
The last time Uganda and Nigeria faced off in the AFCON came during the 1978 edition when the East Africans prevailed 2-1 in the semi-finals, and it remains their sole encounter at the finals to date.
In the AFCON qualifiers, Uganda and Nigeria have in recent years been paired twice - for the 1994 and 2008 tournaments. Across those four qualifiers, Nigeria recorded two wins, Uganda one, with one draw.
During the match Uganda won, Abdulla Nasur gave Uganda the lead in the 11th minute before Martins Eyo equalised for Nigeria in the 54th minute. Phillip Omondi then scored the decisive goal just four minutes later to send Uganda through.
In Morocco, Uganda kicked off their current campaign with a 3-1 defeat against Tunisia, before snatching their only point of the campaign - a 1-1 draw against Tanzania.
Nigeria started their campaign with a 2-1 win against Tanzania, before hanging on to defeat Tunisia 3-2 in a five-goal thriller.
If Uganda make it to the next round, it will see them advance beyond the group stage for only the third time, after 1978 and 2019. Meanwhile, victory for Nigeria would see them win all three group matches at an AFCON for the first time since 2021, and help achieve their 16th successive appearance in the AFCON knockout stages.
