One of the guests at the event poses for a photo in a Uganda Cranes' jersey.
Rabat, Morocco- Monday, 29 2025. Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), in partnership with the Federation of Uganda Football Association (FUFA), last night hosted a vibrant “Uganda Night” cultural showcase at Villa Soraya in Rabat. This is part of the high-level destination marketing and cultural diplomacy and media activation initiatives under the “Explore Uganda” brand.
The event graced by State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Hon. Martin Mugara, brought together distinguished Ugandan delegation that included Federation of Uganda Football Association (FUFA) team lead by President Moses Magogo, Members of Parliament, UTB Board Members, members of the Ugandan diaspora community in Morocco, media representatives, and invited international guests from Morocco, South Sudan, Rwanda, Botswana, and the United Kingdom.
Participants at the event last evening.
Speaking at the event, Hon. Martin Mugarra praised the initiative as a strategic approach to tourism promotion, noting: “Uganda Night in Morocco is a strong demonstration of how culture, sport, and tourism can work together to position our country on the global stage. Through such engagements, we are showcasing the richness and diversity of the Pearl of Africa as we benchmark on the good practices to grow out destination and sports appeal in the coming Africa tournament.”
Minister Mugarra addressing the media.
The showcase featured an immersive presentation from Nyende Francis UTB’s Marketing Manager on Uganda’s tourism experiences. This included traditional music, cultural storytelling, and destination highlights that vividly brought to life the country’s natural beauty, heritage, and warm hospitality.
The FUFA President, Moses Magogo, emphasized the role of football as a unifying and influential platform for destination branding, stating: “Football speaks a universal language. Our partnership with UTB allows us to use the passion of the game to tell Uganda’s story beyond the pitch. As we look to AFCON and beyond, we are proud to contribute to positioning Uganda as a premier tourism destination in Africa and the world.”
Magogo speaking at the event. Uganda Cranes play Nigeria this evening.
UTB Board Member Operemo Vincent highlighted the importance of diaspora and international engagement in tourism growth, saying: “Events like Uganda Night create meaningful connections between Uganda and global audiences. They enable us to directly engage the diaspora, media, and international partners, while reinforcing confidence in Uganda as a destination rich in culture, opportunity, and authentic experiences.”
His counterpart on UTB Board, Lyazi Vivian, underscored the long-term brand impact of the initiative, noting: “This showcase goes beyond celebration; it is strategic destination marketing.
By taking ‘The Explore Uganda” brand to new markets such as North Africa, we are expanding our tourism footprint and opening doors for future partnerships, travel, and investment.”
The event attracted extensive media coverage from sports and lifestyle media fraternities in both Morocco, international media and Uganda, significantly amplifying Uganda’s tourism message and visibility across the region.
vs. Nigeria
Uganda Cranes will lock horns with Nigeria in a high-stakes Group C showdown on Matchday Three of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations 2025, a fixture that will determine the fate of Uganda’s campaign in Morocco.
It will be only the second time the two nations meet at the AFCON finals, with their lone previous encounter dating back to the 1978 tournament. On that historic occasion, Uganda stunned Nigeria 2-1 in the semi-finals.
Abdulla Nasur struck early in the 11th minute before Martins Eyo levelled for Nigeria shortly after the break. Phillip Omondi then delivered the decisive blow just four minutes later, sending Uganda into the final and sealing one of the Cranes’ most memorable AFCON moments.
Fast forward to 2025, and the stakes are once again high. Uganda head into the contest knowing that only a positive result will keep their qualification hopes alive. Nigeria, meanwhile, arrive brimming with confidence after collecting maximum points from their first two group matches and carrying the pedigree of AFCON runners-up from the previous edition.
Speaking ahead of the match, Uganda Cranes head coach Paul Joseph Put admitted the scale of the challenge but insisted his side is ready to compete.
“We know we are facing a very good team, who were finalists at the last AFCON. They have performed very well and have maximum points. My players will give their best tomorrow. It will be hard and difficult, but in football, everything is possible,” Put said.
His message was reinforced by defender Jordan Obita, who highlighted the belief and unity within the camp as Uganda prepare for the decisive encounter.
“The team spirit is very high. We know we need to win, so we cannot go into the game with fear. We have to play with full belief, and that’s exactly what we will do,” Obita noted.
Historically, the rivalry has been competitive. Uganda and Nigeria have met eight times across all competitions, with the Cranes edging the head-to-head record with four wins, compared to Nigeria’s two, while two matches have ended in draws.
The two sides have also crossed paths in AFCON qualification for the 1994 and 2008 tournaments. Across those four qualifiers, Nigeria claimed two victories, Uganda one, with one match ending level.
Their most recent meeting came in a November 2018 international friendly in Asaba, which finished goalless.
Uganda lost the opening match of this campaign to Tunisia 3-1 before drawing 1-1 with East African neighbours Tanzania.
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