Micho says pressure on Egypt, Ghana
The returning Kabugo could have come head to head with Andre Ayew in tomorrow’s crunch game between Cranes and the Black Stars. PHOTO BY ISMAIL KEZAALA
KAMPALA-Cranes coach, Micho Sredojevic, was quick out of the blocks to claim World Cup qualification pressure is on Egypt and Ghana after Uganda drew the two African football powerhouses on Friday.
Seven-time African champions, Egypt, and Africa’s most prominent country in recent World Cups, Ghana, were pooled with Uganda and Congo Brazzaville in Group E at the event held at Caf headquarters in Cairo.
With Egypt and Arsenal midfield player Mohamed Elneny helping in drawing balls from Pot 4 that included Uganda, Zambia, Burkina Faso, Libya and Gabon, the Cranes were thrown in Group E before Congo Brazzaville, Egypt and Ghana from Pots 3, 2 and 1 joined them.
That only the top team from five groups will qualify to Russia 2018 World Cup, meaning that Uganda must finish ahead of Egypt and Ghana to make it, saw a good number of Ugandans on social media react to the news in light-hearted notes.
“That’s equivalent to death sentence,” posted on Facebook a one Nyatia Steffan Fab, “Okay, maybe the one who set the 2019 (Afcon) target saw this coming,” added Peter Nyanzi.
Eternal optimist
Micho appreciates that Egypt and Ghana are favourites, but believes that the same factor exerts more pressure on the aforementioned duo.
“We are focusing first on Afcon qualifiers believing that we can beat Comoros and qualify after 39 years,” said Micho.
“Once we finish that we shall on the wings of confidence go to play World Cup qualifiers where we need to meet top class teams with no pressure on us. Pressure is on them.
“We just want to stretch ourselves over all limits and see to give reason God to help us and football to award us with good results.”
Micho had earlier intimated to this newspaper how he wanted to avoid Tunisia and Algeria from Pot 1, Egypt in 2, and Cameroon and Morocco in 3.
“From Pot 1 and 3,” Micho told Sunday Monitor, “I’m happy because I think it is fair, and in Pot 2, we got one real big heavyweight (Egypt).
“But we need to draw inspiration from Euro 2016 with Iceland, Northern Ireland, Hungary and Wales.”
The four minnows made the Euro 2016 knockout stage.
Uganda is the only Cecafa nation at this qualification stage.
2018 FIFA W.CUP QUALIFIERS AFRICA
Group A: Tunisia, Libya, DR Congo, Guinea
Group B: Zambia, Cameroon, Algeria, Nigeria
Group C: Gabon, Mali, Ivory Coast, Morocco
Group D: Senegal, South Africa, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde
Group E: Ghana, Egypt, Congo, Uganda
