Micho harbours World Cup dream for Cranes

Kicks of a dying horse. The Uganda Cranes set up should be able to make a decision on whether to leave out captain Massa whose career is on its last knees. File photo

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Soccer. Cranes coach says that if Togo can make the World Cup then his team also has what it takes to play at the global showpiece.

Kampala. Qualifying for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations was the ultimate. Ugandans had watched helplessly for four decades as Cranes fluffed 19 campaigns to make the continent’s biggest tournament.
For many, making it to next year’s tournament in Gabon was the end in itself, washing away the pain of Adam Ssemugabi’s late penalty miss against Nigeria in 1993 as Cranes failed to make Tunisia ’94.
Beating Comoros buried the ghosts of that 2011 goalless draw with Kenya, a helpless situation to miss out on Gabon/Equatorial Guinea 2012 and the penalty shootout loss to Zambia later that year.

Patrick Ochan’s 12-yard fluff accounted for the South Africa 2013 absence. So when Farouk Miya scored the lone goal to beat Comoros 1-0 at Namboole this month, Uganda Cranes was done, literally.
“No, we are not (done),” Uganda Cranes coach Micho Sredojevic says. In the midst of preparations for the Nations Cup, his team start a 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign. Next month, Uganda visit Ghana. That’s is followed by November’s visit of Congo Brazaville to Namboole before a double header against seven-time African champions Egypt next year.

Six-game test
While many fans may only be paying attention to Gabon 2017, Micho is a dreamer ahead of Uganda’s six-game examination.
“Why not?” Micho says, responding to a question whether Uganda can actually qualify for the global showpiece in Russia in two years’ time. “If Togo qualified, why not us,” the Serb adds. Togo led four first-time surprise qualifiers for the World Cup in the 2006 event held in Germany.
Then, Africa had four first timers with Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo and Angola joining Tunisia at the expense of Cameroon and Nigeria. Ghana and Ivory have qualified for every World Cup since.
Uganda beat Togo 4-0 on aggregate to make it to the final round that has 20 teams grouped in five pools with only the group winners advancing to Russia 2018.

Micho’s boss, Fufa president Moses Magogo, shares the view, fueled by the fact that Cranes have registered victories over Nigeria, Angola, Togo, Ghana and drawing with Senegal and South Africa.
“When I see this current group of players, I see belief that yes we can qualify for World Cup,” Magogo told a media briefing this week. “We have a Watsapp group where the players have told me that it’s possible. This team is like a family,” Magogo said.
He then turned to his eternal crusade for more government funding because “in sport you only reap what you sow” citing Uganda’s failure to win a medal at the recently-concluded Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

OCT. 4 IN LOME
Togo vs Uganda, Kegue Stadium
2018 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
Ghana vs Uganda, Tamale Stadium (Oct 17)
NOVEMBER 7
Uganda vs Congo Brazaville, Namboole
AUGUST 28, 2017
Uganda vs Egypt