Sudan and Tanzania have both sealed their places at the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations Ghana 2027 after prevailing in their respective semi-finals at the Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday.

Sudan edged Uganda 3-2 in a breathless contest that swung back and forth, with Mazin Taowr's 82nd-minute strike proving the decisive blow. Tanzania, meanwhile, were more composed in dispatching Burundi 2-0 to advance to Thursday's final, where the two nations will meet for regional honours.

A dramatic turnaround for Sudan

The tie carried added intrigue given that Uganda had beaten Sudan 1-0 in their final Group B match just days earlier, with Amour Munogera's goal handing the Ugandans top spot. The rematch told an entirely different story.

Uganda captain Richard Okello drew first blood in the 7th minute, but Sudan hit back almost immediately — Rudwan Mohamed levelling just three minutes later. The teams went into the break on level terms before Sudan seized control shortly after the restart, captain Waheed Shandi netting in the 48th minute.

Derick Ssozi pulled Uganda level again in the 66th minute to set up a gripping finale. It was Sudan, however, who delivered the knockout punch, Taowr latching onto the winner in the 82nd minute to complete a stunning reversal of fortunes.

Sudan had entered the semi-finals as the best runner-up in Group B, having opened their campaign with a 3-0 win over Djibouti before falling to Uganda. For Uganda, who had won all their group fixtures, the defeat ended their hopes of reaching Ghana 2027.

Tanzania march on with clean sheet

The hosts continued their dominant run of form in the second semi-final, brushing Burundi aside with a 2-0 victory. Juma Abushiri opened the scoring in the 10th minute before Faraji Kayanda doubled Tanzania's advantage in the 33rd minute, giving the Ngorongoro Heroes full control at halftime.

Tanzania held firm in the second half to record a third consecutive clean sheet. Having already put Rwanda away 3-0 and Ethiopia 4-0 in Group A, they have now scored nine goals without reply across the tournament — with both Abushiri and Kayanda on two goals each.

The defending regional champions are chasing back-to-back titles after claiming the previous CECAFA U20 Qualifier in 2024.

Burundi, despite arriving in the semi-finals with an unblemished record — topping Group C with wins over South Sudan (4-0) and Kenya (2-0) — could not breach Tanzania's resolute defence. Captain Amini Nshimirimana, who had scored four goals in the group stage, was similarly kept quiet.

Final and third-place play-off on Thursday

All eyes turn to Thursday's final at the Uhuru Stadium, where Tanzania will enjoy home advantage against a Sudan side riding the crest of their dramatic semi-final victory. Uganda and Burundi will contest the third-place play-off on the same day.

With qualification for Ghana 2027 already secured by both finalists, the remaining prize is the CECAFA regional crown — and for Tanzania, the chance to defend a title they hold with considerable pride.