Awany hoping to take his opportunity with Cranes
What you need to know:
- The young KCCA centre half has established himself as the outstanding defender in the Azam Uganda Premier League with a no-holds barred approach at the rear that has endeared him to fans and neutrals.
- He represented Uganda at the CHAN tournament in January and looks set to be confirmed in coach Micho’s final 23-man squad
Kampala.
KCCA defensive pillar Timothy Awany is determined to show he remains an important player for the Uganda Cranes as it prepares for the Afcon engagement in Gabon this month.
First, he has today’s friendly match with Tunisia in Tunis to prove his worth as head coach Micho Sredojevic will finally be trimming his squad to 23 players after this particular game.
Although, the steely defender is now brimming with confidence after going through the initial sieve and is keen to show what he can do if given the chance, he is worried about the last cut before the team heads out to Dubai for friendly matches with Slovakia and Ivory Coast that will precede the Ghana opener on January 17.
“I will be fully happy after overcoming one last hurdle. I’m just praying and working hard so that I make in the final 23-man squad,” said the versatile defender who can ably thrive in defensive midfield.
After beating Swedish-based defender Ronald Mukiibi to a slot in the 26-man squad, Awany is likely to offer back up to Micho’s first choice central defensive set of Isaac Isinde and Murshid Juuko but the presence of robust Hassan Wasswa Mawanda makes his slot more precarious.
KCCA custodian Benjamin Ochan and Proline protagonist Edirisa Lubega are the other likely candidates for the chop.
GROUP D FIXTURES
Jan 17: Ghana vs Uganda
Jan 17: Mali vs Egypt
Jan 21: Ghana vs Mali
Jan 21: Egypt vs Uganda
Jan 25: Egypt vs Ghana
Jan 25: Uganda vs Mali