Uganda beat South Sudan 1-0 in U-23 AFCON qualifier

KAMPALA, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Uganda beat South Sudan 1-0 in the first leg of the 2019 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier here on Wednesday.

The home side needed a late penalty converted by Mustafa Kizza to get an advantage before the return leg next week in Juba, South Sudan.

Attacking midfielder Allan Okello and Julius Poloto kept the South Sudan team busy, but the visitors defended in numbers to give the home side no chance in the first half.

After the interval, Uganda piled lots of pressure with Okello trying to shoot from outside the box, but the defenders were up to the task.

The South Sudan team also had Makueth Wol Akeen Nhuet test the Ugandan goalkeeper twice.

With one added minute, Uganda's striker Stephen Dese Mukwala run in the box before Pal Paul Pukin brought him down. Kizza converted the penalty.

"We should have scored many goals but my players failed to unlock the South Sudan defending line. We need to work harder in the return leg on Nov. 20," Uganda coach Wasswa Bbosa told Xinhua after the game.

John Kuol Chol, the South Sudan team captain said they will not be an easy team playing on their home ground.

"We can also win by a bigger margin in Juba," Chol told Xinhua.

The winner between the Uganda and South Sudan will take on Tunisia in the second round of qualification in March next year before the final qualification round in June.

Egypt will host the 2019 U-23 AFCON, which will be the third edition. The top three African teams of the tournament will compete at the 2020 Summer Olympics men's football tournament in Japan.