Afcon 2017: Cranes, Warriors coaches count on friendly

Cranes coach Micho. Photo by Eddie Chicco

KAMPALA.

Next Tuesday’s warm-up fixture between hosts Zimbabwe and Uganda will have the two teams in finer shape for their respective 2017 Nations Cup qualifiers, the countries coaches reckon.

Uganda proceed to Botswana’s second largest city, Francistown, for their Afcon encounter against the hosts due next Saturday after the clash with the Warriors while Zimbabwe host Malawi on the same weekend.

“We have very limited time,” said Cranes coach Micho Sredojevic after yesterday’s training at Namboole, “But this friendly against Zimbabwe will help us a lot.

“We want to see the competitive shape of our players in that match and then in the last two, three days to polish.”
The Serb added: “Today (yesterday) and tomorrow we shall concentrate more of tactical issues, and Saturday, providing more competitive aspect of the game practically.”

Sunday for recovery
The team will use Sunday for recovery before travelling overnight to Harare, where Zimbabwe coach Kalisto Pasuwa is also looking at the challenge from Uganda as the perfect tonic ahead of Malawi.

“Uganda are a very strong team,” Pasuwa is quoted as saying in local press, “They are ranked above us and they will give us a good practice match.” Uganda are currently ranked 72nd while Zimbabwe are 54 places worse off.
The Warriors enter camp on Sunday ahead of the Tuesday friendly while Uganda started training on Tuesday.

Uganda are level with Burkina Faso on seven points in Group D but the Burkinabe, who picked four points from the Cranes, top thanks to a better head-to-head record.

Only the top countries in the 13 groups will qualify automatically, with the best second-placed nations joining hosts Gabon to complete the 16-team cast. A Cranes victory in Francistown, on the same weekend Burkina Faso are away to Comoros, will hugely boost Uganda’s qualifying chances.
Zimbabwe top Group L with eight points and will qualify if they beat Malawi and Guinea fail to beat Swaziland.

The squad

Goalkeepers: Dennis Onyanyo, Robert Ondongkara, Salim Jamal Magola
Defenders: Denis Guma, Isaac Isinde, Murushid Jjuuko, Hassan Wasswa Mawanda, Joseph Ochaya
Midfielders: Yasser Mugerwa, Moses Oloya, Aucho Khalid, Tonny Mawejje, William Kizito Luwagga, Godfrey Walusimbi
Strikers: Farouk Miya, Davis Kasirye, Edrisa Lubega, Erisa Ssekisambu, Geofrey Massa, Emmanuel Okwi, Lorenzen Melvyn

Uganda Cranes Games

Tuesday, May 31, friendly
Zimbabwe vs Uganda
June 4, 2017 Afcon
Botswana vs Uganda