Onyango: Cranes’ safe hands

Fortebet ODD

DR CONGO - UGANDA
2.16 3.35 3.65
..................................................................

Uganda has been blessed with goalkeepers from John Agard who featured in 1962 Nations Cup in Ethiopia, playing two matches as well as Joseph Masajjage who played in four matches spread across two Nations Cups, 1968 in Ethiopia and in Egypt in 1974.
Then came Patrick Natan who replaced Masajjage in Egypt (1974) final featuring in three matches and Paul Ssali who was in goal for all the five matches in 1978 as Cranes went all the way to the final, before losing 2-0 to the hosts.

When Denis Onyango leads the Cranes against DR Congo at the Cairo International Stadium in the second match of the 2019 Total Africa Nations Cup this evening, he will be playing his third match in the continent’s premier competition.
By the time the group stages are done, he will hopefully equal Ssali’s record of five matches in the finals.

Onyango, 34, is always in the news for good reasons. He has been the Cranes first choice keeper since 2005 when he made his debut in the World Cup qualifier against Cape Verde and now has 70 caps. He has seen generations come and go in that time but remained consistent even in changes of players in front of him.
During the Afcon qualifiers for Egypt, until the final match away to Tanzania’s Taifa Stars, when he conceded three, he had kept five clean sheets. And if Cranes are to advance from Group A where they will face DR Congo, Zimbabwe and Egypt, he needs to be at his best. A good start this evening against DRC can be a launching pad for Cranes.

Continental and local accolades
His consistency both for Cranes and his South African club Mamelodi Sundowns, have not gone unnoticed. His heroics as Mamelodi Sandowns clinched the 2016 Caf Champions League, earned him the accolade as African-based African Player of the year.
He followed that up with being named Africa’s best goalkeeper in the Caf Awards 2018.
Back home Fufa rewarded him with a piece of land for his achievements and Uganda Sports Journalists based in Africa under their umbrella Uspa, named him the best Sportsman of the year in 2016.

Name Appearances Year
John Agard (2 matches) -1962
Joseph Masajjage (3) -1968, 1974
Patrick Natan (3) - 1974
Ali Ssendegeya (2) - 1976
Hussein Matovu (1) - 1976
Paul Ssali (5) -1978

TODAY
DR Congo vs. Uganda (SS7, 5.30pm)
Nigeria vs. Burundi (SS7, 9.00pm)
Guinea vs. Madagascar (SS7, 11.00pm)

sunday
Morocco vs. Namibia (SS7, 5.30pm)
Senegal vs. Tanzania (SS7, 9.00pm)
Algeria vs. Kenya (SS7, 11.00pm)

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