Afcon dream gets complex

LOME- For over an hour, the dream of a good result was on. Well, until the 69th minute when Togo defender Serge Akakpo headed home to ensure a 1-0 victory over Uganda.

That goal at Stade de Kegue in Lome last night moved Togo to second on six points and Uganda, who are on four in as many games, to third. Ghana, having beaten Guinea 3-1 in a late kick-off last night are top on eight points. Guinea, also on four, are bottom with an inferior goal difference. The goal against Togo also just made the Cranes road to Morocco for the 2015 Nations Cup even more complex.

Micho Sredojevic’s side must now beat Ghana and Guinea next month and hope Guinea and Togo fail in their endeavors. Togo were the more adventurous here with Emmanuel Adebayor making early runs on Dennis Guma. He beat him on some occasions and on 25 minutes combined him with Savio Kabugo, then rounded Dennis Onyango but his goal-bound ball was cleared off the line by Isaac Isinde.

Jonathan Ayite should also have put the hosts ahead on 31 minutes but he tamely short straight at Ugandan goalkeeper Onyango after Adebayor won one of his duels with Kabugo.

Togo went into the break probing with Tonny Mawejje, Khalid Aucho and Geoffrey Kizito sitting back and breaking on the counter to release Kizito Luwagga and Geoffrey Massa, who was switching roles with Brian Umony. The hosts never stopped the gas on resumption, Serge Gakpo beating Godfrey Walusimbi for trickery and pace on the right.

His low arced cross inside the area cried for Adebayor’s tap-in was but Kabugo intercepted superbly. The hosts continued to probe. Kabugo hobbled under a challenge and went down holding his groin. Micho held his head, but let go as the SCVU defender got back up.

After the hour, Walusimbi made one of the several offline clearances.
Luwagga then broke free on the right, beating his man and laying on for Brian Majwega, who had come on for his namesake, Umony, the most beautiful pass you’ll ever get.

Majwega controlled with his left, Wome Dove and Serge Akakpo miles from him he could

He took his time, only that it was unnecessarily long.
Togo goalkeeper Djehani N’Guissan closed him down and his shot disappointingly went inches wide, sending Micho to his knees, hands clutched on his head.
Geoffrey Kizito then got a chance to steal a point late on but his sweet strike outside the 18-yard box was tipped over by N’Guissan with three minutes to go. And they went.

Majwega miss
Uganda put up a professional first half performance that if games ended at half time upon request, the Cranes would have walked away from Lome with that priceless point.

Or the team should have read Donou Kokou’s notes. Togo got one clear chance in 90 minutes in Kampala and the right back buried it in the most ferocious manner. It is in tight games for the visiting teams like the one last Saturday and, perhaps last night, that you don’t get second chances.

Uganda got one similar chance amidst the hosts’ barrage of opportunities. After being laid on free by Kizito Luwagga, the only two Togolese defenders in the box miles away, Majwega momentarily forgot a football game was going on. By the time he remembered, the Togolese goalkeeper had closed him down, forcing the KCC player to shoot wide.

License for Adebayor
A tale is told here of how Emmanuel Adebayor, the Togolese and Tottenham hitman, does whatever he does and when he wants. The Togo FA plan whatever they are planning for the team and leave a license for Ade’s own plans.
For example, he decided to fly to Kampala from Europe instead of connecting with teammates in Lome. At Stade de Kegue last night, all his teammates donned yellow shorts.

But not Ade. His red pants ensured you noticed him first. He is always the difference. Well, apart from the two games against Kampala. Poor internet disrupts proceedings
Oh my! After planning to bring to you live updates on our site and via our Facebook and Twitter feeds, the space bug descended. Having purchased my Togo Cellular modem and loaded it with a month’s data, the thing just decided to act up on me.

Yesterday’s results
Togo 1-0 Uganda
Cameroon 2-0 Sierra Leone
Ghana 3-1 Guinea
Nigeria 3-1 Sudan

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