Malawi Flames question Uganda Cranes creativity
Bad day at the office: Wasswa (left) strikes a pose that told of Uganda’s ineptitude against the small South East African nation at Namboole on March 27, 2018. PHOTO BY EDDIE CHICCO
What you need to know:
- What was glaring was the absolute lack of creativity in the middle of the park, where the defence, midfield and strike force looked as if they were three independent states, with borders tightly guarded.
- Cranes were varying levels of abject in the final third
Kampala. A game devoid of goals; midfield starved of life. And thought.
The strikers, too, did play, although invisible on the score sheet as Uganda and Malawi played out an, indeed, friendly goalless stalemate.
Last night’s friendly, Uganda’s second in four days, was part of preparations for the 2019 African Cup of Nations qualifiers in September against Tanzania and Lesotho.
Uganda saw off 179th ranked Sao Tome and Principe 3-1 last Saturday, a game in which they created several chances but one they never necessarily controlled the way coach Sebastien Desabre would have wanted. But last evening, where Desabre made three changes in the starting lineup from the previous game, the Malawians matched the Cranes, especially in the second half where both teams had chances to win it.
Emmanuel Okwi, who started upfront with Yunus Sentamu, missed an empty net from the right midfield channel after intercepting Malawi goalkeeper Charles Swini’s poor clearance on 23 minutes.
Sentamu, who started ahead of Kizito Luwagga, then beat three Malawians inside the box only to side net.
Then Denis Guma, in ahead of Nicholas Wadada, and Bevis Mugabe conspired to almost give the visitors the lead.
Indecision between the duo allowed the ball to bounce and let through second half substitute Cheiukepo Msowoya only for Denis Onyango to charge in and thwart. Onyango was again called into action to tip over John Banda’s long range drive.
Luwagga, Derrick Nsibambi and last Saturday’s debut scorer Abraham Ndugwa had by this time come on for Okwi, Sentamu and Milton Karisa and it’s the trio that injected in some life.
Actually, Uganda’s closest chance came when Malawi captain Limbikani Mzava headed Ndugwa’s dangerous cross to his own upright after the forward charged into the box three minutes from full time.
Yet what was more glaring in the game was the absolute lack of creativity in the middle of the park, where the defence, midfield and strike force looked as if they were three independent states, with borders tightly guarded.
Having his start ahead of Godfrey Kizito, Taddeo Lwanga and Hassan Wasswa, whose strength is mainly in guarding the defence, struggled for ideas linking the back and front.
“We need to improve in penetration,” admitted Desabre.
