Uganda’s Rhinos signed off their pre-tournament assignments at the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan, with a convincing 12-0 victory over Tonga after holding Ecuador to a 1-1 draw on Monday.

The young Ugandans put on an attacking show against Tonga, scoring seven goals in the first half and adding five after the break to complete a dominant performance.

Jefferson Kwikiriza set the tone early, finding the net in the second minute before  Ivan Kiganda struck in the 10th and 13th minutes. Frank Baluku added Uganda’s fourth in the 12th minute as the Rhinos ran riot.

Angello Kasumba scored twice in the 15th and 18th minutes, while Victor Ogwang also got on the scoresheet in the 16th minute to give Uganda a commanding 7-0 lead at half-time.

The Rhinos showed no signs of slowing down after the break. Kwikiriza completed his brace in the 27th minute, followed by Ian Wafula’s goal in the 29th minute and  Mathias Muwonge’s strike in the 32nd.

Kasumba then completed his hat-trick in the 34th minute before Jonah Muwanguzi sealed the 12-0 win in the 39th minute.

It was a strong response from the Ugandans, who had earlier been held to a 1-1 draw by Ecuador in their opening match.

Kwikiriza put Uganda ahead in the 19th minute, but Ecuador fought back, with Jeison Cabeza equalising in the 40th minute to force a share of the spoils.

Despite missing out on victory in their first outing, the Rhinos bounced back in style against Tonga, with Kwikiriza and Kasumba leading the scoring charge.

Head coach Anthony Bongole is in charge of the 14-man squad representing Uganda at the tournament, which is being played in an eight-a-side format, with each match lasting 40 minutes.

A different World Cup experience

The inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival is designed to give young players from across the world more opportunities to compete and develop.

Unlike traditional senior World Cups, where teams can be eliminated early, the tournament guarantees continued participation for every team until the final matchday. Nearly 190 nations from FIFA’s 211 member associations are involved in the wider event.

The opening round-robin stage, in which each team plays four to five matches, determines placement into one of six performance tiers for the second stage.

FIFA uses a pre-tournament ranking system that combines senior and youth national team results with performances in the opening matches to place teams in suitable competitive brackets.

The format is intended to provide young players with meaningful matches against appropriately matched opponents, supporting their development while reducing the likelihood of one-sided contests.

All teams will continue competing through the six tiers until the tournament ends. However, only the winner of Tier A will be crowned the official FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival champion, while the other tiers will have their own winners.