Sundowns goalie’s Cairo nightmare: 3 goals, 3 errors & a heartfelt message from Onyango

Former Uganda Cranes captain Denis Onyango has sent a heartfelt message to Ismail Watenga after the on-loan Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper endured an ordeal in Cairo, conceding three goals due to mistakes, which led to a substitution at halftime.

Watenga’s schoolboy errors saw the Uganda Cranes suffer a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Mozambique in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Thursday night at the Cairo International Stadium.

The Sundowns goalie, currently on loan at Golden Arrows, had a poor start to the game and never recovered as Pedro Miguel Neves Santos opened the scoring in the third minute for Mozambique, capitalising on Watenga’s poor positioning to score directly from a corner.

Despite Shaban Muhammad’s quick equaliser, Watenga’s fumble of a routine cross by Vilanculos Gildo gifted Pedro a second goal in the 16th minute. The situation worsened when Denis Omedi’s red card left Uganda a man down in the 38th minute.

Mozambique made use of their numerical advantage by scoring just before halftime. Stanley Ratifo fired past an exposed Watenga, who was well off his line after a well-placed pass from Pedro looped over Bevis Mugabi.

While Uganda showed resilience in the second half, with Allan Okello hitting the crossbar, the damage was done. This defeat leaves the Cranes struggling in Group G, now focusing on a vital home match against Guinea to salvage their qualification hopes.

ONYANGO’S MESSAGE TO WATENGA: ‘OWN IT, NO EXCUSES’

In the wake of Watenga’s horror show, Sundowns and Uganda legend Onyango reached out with a message of encouragement, emphasising the universal nature of goalkeeping errors.

He stressed that even elite keepers make blunders, as Onyango advised Watenga to acknowledge his mistakes without dwelling on them.

“Mistakes happen, @watengaisima. Even the best goalkeepers in the world have all made massive errors. The difference? They don’t let those mistakes define them,” said Onyango on X [Twitter].

“As a goalkeeper, you live under a microscope, l can tell you. One mistake and all eyes are on you. But listen carefully: The mistake is not what matters. It’s how you RESPOND that defines you. The moment it happens, your instinct might be to drop your head, overthink, or even mentally check out. DON’T. You have seconds—literally seconds—to reset.

“So here’s how you bounce back fast: own it. No excuses, no blame—just accept it and move on. You’re human. It happens. Reset your mind. Take a deep breath, exhale the mistake, and focus on the next play. The game isn’t over. Stand tall. Your body language speaks volumes. Show confidence, and your teammates will trust you again.”

Onyango also urged his former teammate to return to fundamental goalkeeping principles and use the Cairo nightmare as a learning opportunity.

“Stick to the basics. Don’t try to make up for mistakes with risky decisions. Play solid, play smart,” he added. “Use it as fuel. The best goalkeepers don’t just recover—they come back even STRONGER. Learn from it, and grow.

“Remember, one mistake does not define you—your response does. Shake it off, stand tall, and keep going. Because real goalkeepers? They bounce back stronger.”

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