Francistown adds to Cranes’ hurdles

Coach Micho gestures during a recent Cranes training session at Namboole. PHOTO BY ISMAIL KEZAALA

KAMPALA- Uganda will be looking to scoring their first goal and keeping only their second clean sheet in four matches when they face Botswana in Francistown tomorrow. The Cranes fired blanks home and away against Burkina Faso in the 2017 Afcon qualifiers, with their latest outing a 2-0 friendly defeat to Zimbabwe.

That is quite a worrying trend. And it has not been helped by legitimate fears that Farouk Miya is a huge doubt for the Saturday match after he suffered a concussion on Monday.
In Francistown, the Cranes – who travel to Botswana from Zimbabwe today – face a tricky side on a ground where they have won both their opening two Afcon qualifiers.

They beat Burkina Faso 1-0 and Comoros 2-1. So, work for coach Micho Sredojevic is clearly cut out as they must win because they may not count on a result in Comoros, where the hosts take on Burkina Faso.

Burkinabe have seven points, same as Uganda, but top Group D because of a better head-to-head record over the Cranes. Yet as they go about their business of trying to become the first side to beat Botswana in Francistown this campaign, Uganda will be encouraged by the resolve from Comoros.

The small island nation’s captain, Nadjim ‘Jimmy’ Abdou, believes that the 1-0 home victory over Botswana in March after they had suffered the same result defeat to Uganda, gives them confidence that they can pip Burkina Faso.

“Now we are confident we can win at home,” Abdou told BBC Sport, “We have to win this game (against Burkina Faso) to hope to be able to go through. “It will be tough to be honest but we are aiming to win and will see what happens after that.”

The third division side, Millwall player added: “At home everything is possible. At home we feel confident and we can make this game hard for them.”

Comoros lie bottom of Group D with three points, four behind joint leaders Burkina Faso and Uganda.
But whatever their faint dreams are, they will be relying on other results going their way.

Playing tomorrow
Botswana vs. Uganda, Francistown Stadium, Francistown 5pm
Comoros vs. Burkina Faso, Stade Said Mohamed Cheikh
September 3
Uganda vs Comoros, Mandela National Stadium, Namboole
Burkina Faso vs Botswana, Stade du 4 August, Ouagadougou
CRANES SQUAD
Denis Onyango, Robert Odongkara, Denis Guma, Isaac Isinde, Joseph Ochaya, Murushid Juuko, Godfrey Walusimbi, Hassan Wasswa Mawanda, Khalid Aucho, Tony Mawejje, Yasser Mugerwa, Kizito Luwagga, Farouk Miya, Emmanuel Okwi, Erisa Ssekisambu, Davis Kasirye, Geoffrey Massa, Edris Lubega