Cranes go for one last kick in bid to join table of men
KING OF THE DRIBBLE: Uganda’s Cranes midfielder Oloya goes round Mauritania goalkeeper Brahim Souleiman during the first leg at Namboole stadium. PHOTO BY Eddie Chicco.
What you need to know:
Uganda will advance if they avoid defeat or lose 1-0 or 2-1
Kampala
The Cranes will do one last caper at Njeru Technical Centre this morning before traveling for one last preliminary act in Nouakchott, Mauritania this evening.
Coach Micho Sredojevic and Ugandans will hope that act sees them through to the group stage of the 2015 Nations Cup qualification where they will join the table of men.
Three ‘men’ including four-time African champions Ghana, Emmanuel Adebayor’s Togo and Guinea already took their seats at Table E, thanks to their impressive showings in recent qualification campaigns.
Carrying healthy 2-0 scoreline from the first leg, which was made possible by Brian Majwega and Geoffrey Massa second half goals, Uganda can afford to lose 1-0 on Sunday and still progress.
But Micho knows they cannot travel to Nouakchott with such a mentality. “We want to go to Mauritania not to defend but to play football,” Micho earlier told us, “And if we want to play, midfielders are main people to make us play. “That’s why the return of Aucho (Khalid) from suspension and Mawejje (Tonny) settling in Iceland after problems in Norway are very important to us.”
Cranes will be intent on not reliving the 2003 scenario; then – in the 2006 Afcon/World Cup qualifiers – surrendering a 3-0 first leg lead against Mauritius to lose in normal time by the same scoreline. Only David Obua’s extra time goal saved the day. By press time yesterday, Micho was yet to release his final 18. The game will be played on the Olympic Stadium, Astroturf. Cranes have been training on the Njeru astro turf since Monday.
