Uganda Cranes launch their 2025 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations campaign under the Rabat lights on Tuesday night, facing a daunting Group C opener against seasoned campaigners Tunisia at the Stade Olympique Annex Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah.
Kick-off is set for 9pm local time (11pm EAT), and for Uganda, the mission is clear: rewrite history.
In six previous meetings, the Cranes have never beaten the Carthage Eagles, a record Tunisia will be keen to protect as both sides seek a strong start on Africa’s biggest stage.
This clash revives an old AFCON rivalry, last witnessed at the finals in 1978 when Tunisia defeated Uganda 3–1 in the group stage.
That tournament, however, remains Uganda’s golden memory, as the Cranes marched all the way to the final, finishing runners-up to Ghana.
Their first-ever AFCON meeting dates back even further, to 1962, when Tunisia claimed third place with a 3–0 victory over the Cranes in both nations’ debut appearance.
Historically, Tunisia have enjoyed total dominance. Across their AFCON meetings, they have outscored Uganda 6–1, while overall, the Carthage Eagles boast a flawless six-win record with an aggregate score of 16–1.
Their most emphatic result came during 2000 AFCON qualifiers, a crushing 6–0 win in 1999, a match that featured current Tunisia head coach Sami Trabelsi as a player.
There could be an intriguing subplot if Travis Mutyaba features for Uganda. The creative midfielder plies his trade in Tunisia with CS Sfaxien and could come up against familiar faces, including goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen and veteran defender Ali Maaloul.
Uganda’s solitary goal against Tunisia at AFCON finals remains a historic strike by Sam Musenze in the 1978 group stage, a reminder of how rare joy has been for the East Africans in this fixture.
Tunisia: Experience, but Recent Wobbles
AFCON 2004 champions Tunisia are appearing at the finals for a record-extending 22nd time and for the 17th consecutive tournament since 1994.
Despite their pedigree, recent tournaments suggest vulnerability. They are winless in their last five AFCON opening matches (D2, L3), with their most recent opening-day victory coming in 2013 against Algeria.
The Carthage Eagles have managed just one win in their last six AFCON matches overall, a memorable round-of-16 triumph over Nigeria in 2021.
Trabelsi, who featured in four AFCON tournaments as a player and finished runner-up in 1996, will be eager to reverse both his nation’s and his own slow-starting trend.
Uganda: Searching for a Statement Start
This tournament marks Uganda’s eighth appearance at AFCON finals, their first coming in 1962 and the most recent in 2019.
Their best-ever showing remains 1978, when they finished runners-up, a feat that still defines the Cranes’ continental legacy.
Opening matches have often troubled Uganda. They have lost five of their seven AFCON openers, with only two wins, a 3–0 victory over Congo in 1978 and a 2–0 success against DR Congo in 2019.
Notably, Uganda’s matches at AFCON have never ended goalless, underlining their tendency for drama on the big stage.
Their largest AFCON win also came in 1978, a 3–0 group-stage triumph over tournament hosts Morocco.
Before their 2019 win against DR Congo, the Cranes endured a long drought, going winless in eleven AFCON matches stretching back to 1978.
Uganda have progressed beyond the group stage only twice, in 1978, when they reached the final, and in 2019, when they bowed out to Senegal in the round of 16.
Head coach Joseph Paul Put brings vast tournament experience to the dugout. This will be his fourth AFCON, having guided Burkina Faso to the final in 2013, overseen a group-stage exit in 2015, and led Guinea to the round of 16 in 2019.
One statistic he will be keen to erase: he has never won an AFCON opening match as a coach (D2, L1).
The Cranes’ squad blends new faces with a handful of battle-hardened veterans.
Denis Onyango, Timothy Awany, Khalid Aucho, Isaac Muleme and Jamal Salim are the only players with previous AFCON experience — a group expected to anchor Uganda as they step onto the continental stage once more.
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