Uganda Cranes head coach Paul Put left Tangier with more questions than answers after his side suffered a heavy 4–0 defeat to Morocco in their final warm-up match ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. What was billed as a crucial test against the continent’s top-ranked team instead turned into a sobering assessment of how much work remains before Uganda returns to the AFCON stage for the first time since 2019.
Morocco, riding an extraordinary 18-match winning streak, stamped their authority from the opening whistle. Uganda’s defensive shape cracked in just four minutes as Nael Aynaoui’s shot took a wicked deflection off Herbert Achai and rolled into the net, an early warning of the pressure that would follow.
Full-Time! Morocco 4-0 Uganda#MORUGA | #InternationalFriendly pic.twitter.com/XmLEun2uMP
— FUFA (@OfficialFUFA) November 18, 2025
The Atlas Lions dictated the tempo with slick movement and intelligent rotations, pulling Uganda apart, especially in midfield and on the flanks. Their dominance was rewarded again in the 33rd minute when Noussair Mazraoui sliced through the right side and delivered a precise low ball for Ismael Saibari to sweep home.
Put’s men hoped for a steadier second half, but Morocco only grew sharper. Sofiane Rahimi twisted Uganda’s back line inside the box and earned a penalty in the 79th minute, which he calmly dispatched. Bilal El Khannous then added a fourth late on, finishing off a crisp passing move orchestrated by Elias Akhomach, a sequence that perfectly captured Morocco’s fluidity and Uganda’s struggle to stay connected as a unit.
This fixture came on the back of Uganda’s 2–1 win over Chad, a match Put felt did not fully challenge his players. Against Morocco, the gap in quality was unmistakable. Even without several injured stars, the hosts played with the assurance and efficiency of a team fully prepared for a home AFCON.
For Uganda, however, Tangier was less about the result and more about the reality it revealed. Defensive organisation, transition reactions, and fluency in possession remain urgent concerns. With Tunisia awaiting in the group stage, Put now faces a demanding task: tightening the loose ends and instilling belief before the Cranes embark on their long-awaited return to the continental spotlight next month.
