The University for Development Studies (UDS) have made African university football history after successfully defending their continental title with a 2-1 victory over Université Julius Nyerere de Kankan (UJNK) of Guinea.

UDS secured the triumph on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, in the final of the 12th All Africa University Games in Cairo, Egypt.

The victory makes the Tamale-based university the first university side in Africa to win the continental football title in consecutive editions.

UDS entered the tournament as defending champions after winning the previous edition in Lagos, Nigeria, in 2024.

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Their title defence had already gathered momentum in the knockout stages, with the Ghanaian side cruising to a 4-0 victory over Egypt’s Delta University in the semi-finals to book their place in the final.

Mohammed Ezideen was among the standout performers during the campaign, scoring a hat-trick in UDS’ 4-1 victory over the University of Hertfordshire.

The latest triumph adds to a remarkable period for UDS football. In 2025, the university became the first African team to win the FISU World University Football Championship after defeating Brazil’s Paulista University 2-1 in extra time in the final in Dalian, China.

🏆🇬🇭 BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPIONS OF AFRICA! UDS defeat Julius Nyerere University 2–1 to retain the continental title, making history as the first university football team in Africa to achieve this! 💚⚽ #UDS #Developers #FASU pic.twitter.com/24TyeSc3sp

— University for Development Studies (UDS) (@uds_official) September 16, 2026