Togo have come at a good time, Cranes must take them out

Togo maybe propping up Group E with no points whatsoever, but The Sparrow Hawks have never lost a game to Uganda and will swoop into town with history on their side.

In fact the last time we faced them here back in 2001 we got a proper hiding (0-3) so that should serve as a timely reminder to remain sensible.

Besides this is a must-win for Togo. Lose it and they are out of Afcon 2015. So as it is, they have enough motivation to do damage and this I say without mentioning the obvious talent in their squad led by the ever-green Emmanuel Adebayor.

But like I said a while ago, these two games against Togo are the defining games of our current campaign. If we are to avoid our reliance on calculators of the past campaigns we must make them count. In a way we must act like we have no choice either.

And from ticket sells to Micho’s preparations, I get the impression that this fact isn’t lost on anyone.
I particularly like that Micho has kept selection balanced, dropping those who slacken and inviting those who promise. This tends to keep the team fresh and motivated. It may be basic but it is also very good preparation.

Let us see how he lines up this afternoon. Bar injuries, the defence and midfielders are given selections. However, given the wealth of striking talent at our disposal it will be interesting to see who gives way for whom.

All top striking choices save for Emmanuel Okwi, are in devastating form.

Geoffrey Massa’s brace against Guinea makes him a logical choice here, and for betting people he is good for a goal at Namboole, always.

Yunus Ssentamu is lighting up the continent, while Dan Sserunkuma continues to excel across the Eastern border.
But still I reckon Micho will sacrifice a second striker for a five-man midfield.

In the circumstances this kind of caution must be seen as a sign of respect rather than fear. In any case Kizito Luwagga and Moses Oloya can morph into attackers when necessary, like we saw against Guinea.

But I would like to see Brian Majwega start ahead of the much slower and showy Moses Oloya, to make our transitions quicker. The swiftness of those two (Majwega and Luwagga) could carry the game beyond Togo before they settle into any rhythm.

And a lightning start is exactly what we need because the collective edginess of 40,000 Ugandans can be contagious and the last thing we need is for this nervousness to cascade down from the stands onto the players. We must also take advantage of the knowledge that Togo can’t afford the luxury of sitting back.

They will attack and when they do, spaces will open up for Massa to run onto Luwagga’s geometric passes. This suits us fine.

So let’s put this one away and travel to Lome with the massive psychological boost of having knocked Togo out.
In fact I would not be surprised if the Adebayors opt to return to the relative comfort of their European bases as opposed to staying and attending to what will now be a dead rubber.

Who knows what will happen then? Good luck boys. Morocco beckons.

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