Cranes face tough job in group devoid of minnows

Bewildering as it might sound; the African Nations Championship (Chan) remains Uganda’s highest footballing point since the 2-0 loss to hosts Ghana in the 1978 Africa Cup of Nations final. Uganda kick off yet another edition with a Group D clash against Mali on Tuesday in Rubavu, Rwanda.

The Cranes arrive in Rwanda having competed in the previous two in South Africa and Sudan in 2011 and 2014.
However, Cranes coach Micho Sredojevic’s men come into this home-based players’ tournament with failing to progress from the group stage in two attempts heavy on their back. Losing all group matches in Sudan while scoring only one goal was quite a furnace for the debutants.

An improvement from that woeful performance was registered in South Africa; the Cranes winning their first match at Afcon’s young sister. Uganda beat Burkina Faso 2-1, drew goalless with Zimbabwe before falling to Morocco 3-1 and packing their bags home.

Opposition watch
Therein lies Uganda’s task. Anything less than progressing from a group will be nothing but stagnation. And the Cranes will have to do it the hard way. In Mali, who sidestepped Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania en route to the finals, Micho’s men confront a side that boast of some players that featured at last year’s Fifa U17 World Cup, losing 2-0 to Nigeria in the final, and the 2015 U20 World Cup.

Lamine Traore and Bissouma Yvesare some of the stars that carried Mali over the line to Rwanda and Micho, famed for his attention to detail, will know a thing or two about them.
Marshall Mudehwe and Mukatuka are Zimbabwe’s trump card while Zambia will count on dangerman Winston Kalengo, Isaac Chansa and Conlyde Luchanga.

Uganda force to reckon
In all honesty, Group D is a tough pool and whoever progresses is capable of going some distance in the championship. But even Mali, Zambia and Zimbabwe will know they face a dangerous side in Cecafa champions Uganda.

Uganda come into this as the highest ranked in the group at 62, with Mali a place below. The Cranes were also more authoritative in qualification, thumping Tanzania 4-1 and Sudan 4-0 on aggregate respectively to book their ticket to Rwanda. Cranes skipper Farouk Miya scored three of the eight qualification goals, with Caesar Okhuti, Frank Kalanda, Erisa Ssekisambu and Keziron Kizito netting the others.

Although Uganda struggled to find the back of the net in the two build-up friendlies against Gabon and Cameroon, Micho will hope the telepathy that has seen this crop of players play together for over six months is found again.
It goes without saying that Micho still has the midfield conundrum, where he continues to use defenders in holding roles instead of natural midfielders, and striking to sort.

But with three dependable goalkeepers in James Alitho, Ismail Watenga and Mathias Kigonya, a decent defence manned by Richard Kassaga, Miya and Okhuti providing midfield width and creativity to make inroads for Robert Ssentongo/Kalanda/Erisa Ssekisambu/Geoffrey Sserunkuma, Uganda can count their chances.
In a group where it is difficult to pick out a minnow or favourite, it promises to be a tight affair where marginal details will determine the top two.

As for whether Uganda can have a shot at the title, Micho would rather “take one game at a time. For now, our target is to get out of the group.”

AFRICAN NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP

When: January 17 – February 7, Rwanda
HOW THEY ARE POOLED
Group A: Rwanda, I.Coast, Morocco, Gabon
Group B: DRC, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Angola
Group C: Tunisia, Guinea, Niger, Nigeria
Group D: Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Mali
Uganda’s fixtures
January 19: vs. Mali
January 23: vs. Zambia
January 27: vs. Zimbabwe

Opening group fixtures

ToDAY at Huye Stadium
DR Congo vs. Ethiopia (SS9, 4pm)
Angola vs. Cameroon (SS9, 7pm)
TOMORROW at Kigali Regional Stadium
Tunisia vs. Guinea (SS9, 4pm)
Nigeria vs. Niger (SS9, 7pm)
Tuesday at UMUGANDA IN Rubavu
Zimbabwe vs. Zambia (SS9, 4pm)
Mali vs. Uganda (SS9, 7pm)

GROUP D - HOW THEY QUALIFIED

Zone West A: Mali
Preliminary round
G. Bissau 1-1 Mali
Mali 3-1 Guinea-Bissau
(Mali progressed 4-2 on aggregate

First round
Mali 2-1 Mauritania
Mauritania 1-1 Mali
(Mali qualified 3-2 on aggregate)
Central-East Zone: Uganda

Preliminary round
Tanzania 0-3 Uganda
Uganda 1-1 Tanzania
(Uganda progressed 4-1 on agg)
First round
Uganda 2-0 Sudan
Sudan 0–2 Uganda
(Uganda qualified 4-0 on agg)
Southern Zone: Zimbabwe and Zambia
Preliminary rounds
Zimbabwe 2-0 Comoros
Comoros 0-0 Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe progressed 2-0 on agg)
Namibia 2-1 Zambia
Zambia 2-1 Namibia
(Zambia progressed 6-5 on pens)

First rounds
Zimbabwe 3-1 Lesotho
Lesotho 1-1 Zimbabwe
(Zimbabwe qualified 4-2 on agg)
Zambia 3-0 Mozambique
Mozambique 1-1 Zambia
(Zambia qualified 4-1 on aggregate)