Cranes goalkeeper, Onyango in injury scare

KAMPALA.

If there is a player Uganda Cranes needs to be in top notch form ahead of the must-win Afcon tie against Comoros, it has got to be first choice custodian Dennis Onyango.

The Mamelodi Sundowns shot-stopper is currently nursing a hamstring injury sustained in Sunday’s 3-1 ejection of SuperSport United in the MTN8 quarter finals at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium.

“The Cranes doctors (Ivan Ssewanyana and Ronald Kisolo) are working tirelessly on my hamstring injury to see that I play the historic tie,” Onyango, who sat out the friendly game against Kenya yesterday, revealed.

For close to 10 years now, Onyango has been the go-to man between the sticks for the national team with his reflex saves and box commands earning him the patent rights in the Cranes goal.

“The mood in camp is great and shows that we are going to break the jinx but I want to be fit enough and help my country achieve that,” said Onyango, who exhibited classical form on Sunday for the Brazillians.

The two Cranes team doctors both refused to comment on Onyango’s injury saying they first needed permission from coach Micho Sredojevic.

We could not get a comment from the coach as he was busy with the friendly match but his plans for the Comoros tie will have been dealt a huge blow if Onyango doesn’t return to fitness.

Micho didn’t summon Onyango’s long-time deputy Robert Odongkara to the squad, leaving him with Salim Jamal (Al Merrikh), Benjamin Ochan (KCCA) and Ismail Watenga (Vipers) as back -up.