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Uganda’s teenage forward James Bogere has reached another major milestone in his young football career after scoring his first goal for the senior Uganda Cranes.
The 18-year-old striker found the back of the net as Uganda defeated the Democratic Republic of Congo 2–0 in an international friendly at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Friday, October 2, 2026.
Bogere needed just seven minutes to announce himself on the scoresheet.
The young striker applied pressure high up the pitch and capitalised on a poor pass from the DR Congo goalkeeper. After intercepting the ball, Bogere kept his composure inside the penalty area before calmly slotting it into the net to give Uganda an early lead.
It was a composed finish that highlighted the qualities that have made Bogere one of Uganda's most exciting young attacking prospects.
His goal was particularly significant because it marked his first senior international goal since making the step up from Uganda's youth teams to the senior national side.
Bogere's breakthrough with the senior team follows an impressive period with Uganda's youth national sides.
In November 2025, while still 17, he made history at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, scoring Uganda's first-ever goal at a FIFA World Cup tournament. He found the net against Canada in Uganda's opening match of the competition.
That performance further increased attention around the young striker and strengthened his reputation as a player capable of performing on the international stage.
Bogere has since continued his progression into the senior setup, and his latest goal against DR Congo represents another important step in that journey.
The achievement came against a DR Congo side that had already made a strong start to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. The Leopards had collected victories in their opening qualifiers against Equatorial Guinea and Zimbabwe before facing Uganda in Johannesburg.
Uganda's technical team used the friendly to assess several players, with head coach Paul Put making changes to the side and giving opportunities to both established players and emerging talents.
Bogere took his opportunity.
His pressing, movement and direct running caused problems for the Congolese defence, while his opening goal gave the Cranes the platform to control the match.
The goal adds another memorable chapter to Bogere's rapidly developing international career.
Having already made history at the U-17 World Cup, the youngster can now add a senior Uganda Cranes goal to his list of achievements.
His performance against DR Congo also demonstrated that he can make an impact at senior level rather than simply being viewed as a prospect for the future. Kawowo's match assessment highlighted his pressing, anticipation and direct running, while noting that his finish for the opening goal was composed.
Uganda eventually secured a 2–0 victory, with Austria Wien forward Kelvin Owusu Boateng scoring the second goal four minutes after the restart. It was also Boateng's first goal in Uganda colours.
For Bogere, the goal represents more than just an entry on his international statistics. It is evidence of his continued progression from youth international football into the senior ranks.
At only 18 years of age, he has already scored at a FIFA U-17 World Cup and now has his first senior Uganda Cranes goal.
With Uganda continuing preparations for upcoming international assignments and the next phase of the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign, Bogere's development will be one of the stories to follow.
