Facing Mauritania does not make it simpler, says Micho

KAMPALA.

Coach Micho Sredojevic has downplayed suggestions that Uganda face an easier opposition in Mauritania after Cranes’ hitherto 2015 Nations Cup preliminary qualifying opponents Equatorial Guinea were disqualified.

Equatorial Guinea were on Thursday disqualified after Caf ruled against them. Mauritania had protested Equatorial Guinea’s fielding of Thierry Tazemeta in previous round playoff, which the former won 1-0 in Nouakchott.

Of Cameroonian origin, Thierry Tazemeta was born October 13, 1982 in Mbouda, according to the Cameroon FA. Equatorial Guinea didn’t provide evidence that Tazemeta was eligible to represent them.

“Mauritania now proceed to engage Uganda in final playoff round with 1st leg on 19 July in Kampala,” Caf said on their Twitter handle.

If you are a fan of Fifa rankings, the development could have you thinking that Mauritania would pose a much easier threat to Uganda’s ambitions in the road to Morocco.

Mauritania are ranked 137th in the world, 35 places below Equatorial Guinea and 51 below Uganda.

But as the then 189th ranked Madagascar showed in their 2-1 home victory over Uganda, rankings can be mocked. Micho knows it. “There is no good news because it’s same Patrice Neveu (Mauritania coach), who is top a class coach we played against in a friendly Kampala on 3rd January,” Micho told us.

“Now we need to change focus from Latino style of Equatorial Guinea to French stamp and influence of Mauritania; from top class field and humidity of Malabo to artificial field and heat of Noukachot.”
“But now we need to change focus from Latino style of Eq. Guinea to French stamp and influence of Mauritania; from top class field and humidity of Malabo to artificial field and heat of Noukachot.

2015 AFCON QUALIFIERS
July 19: Uganda vs. Mauritania
FRIENDLIES
July 11: Uganda vs. Seychelles
July 14: Uganda vs. Malawi