Uganda Cranes fans take over Port Gentil
Gabon.
At the departure lounge of Entebbe Airport in the last couple of days, the most common destination for passengers has been Gabon.
With Uganda Cranes making their bow at the continent’s most prestigious sporting event for the first time in four decades, a number of fans have made their way to Port Gentil where Micho Sredojevic’s charges open against Ghana tomorrow at 7pm.
Journalists, dignitaries and fans of all walks of life have made the expensive trip to Gabon, mostly with either RwandaAir or Ethiopian Airways, to witness history.
The majority were either toddlers or not yet born when Cranes were losing finalists to Ghana in Accra in 1978, and tomorrow’s moment when the Ugandan anthem is played at the Port Gentil stadium will no doubt give them pride.
MP Allan Ssewanyana, a notable soccer fan, was among the first to arrive in Libreville, the Gabon capital. He watched Saturday’s two opening matches before making the connection to Port Gentil yesterday.
“This is our country and we have to support it now that we are rubbing shoulders with the cream of Africa,” Ssewanyana told Daily Monitor yesterday.
According to Ssewanyana, 10 more MPs, including Denis Obua and Odonga Otto, were due to arrive in Libreville yesterday together with Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga. The MPs have contributed Shs215m to the Uganda Cranes.
Sports minister Charles Bakkabulindi was seen buying his flag at the airport last Friday as he boarded the plane to Gabon. Accompanying him was National Council of Sports chairman John Bosco Onyik and commissioner for sports in the ministry of education and sports Lamex Omara Apita.
Yesterday’s RwandaAir and Ethiopian Airways flights were dominated by Port Gentil-bound fans of Cranes with many draped in national colours.
Fufa president Moses Magogo, Airtel marketing manager Remmie Kisakye and promotions guru Aggrey Kagonyera were among the various Ugandans who touched down at Leon M’ba international airport in Libreville.
National team sponsors Nile Special, Cranes and EcoBank have also flown a number of fans to support the country in Gabon.
Today, Uganda Cranes will hold training session at the stadium at 11am (1pm Ugandan time) before a familiarisation tour of the pitch at 6 :15pm (8:15).
Uganda’s final group game will, however, not be played in Port Gentil; Cranes will travel to Oyem for the showdown with Mali on January 25.
