Cranes prospects looking good ahead of Tanzania

Kampala- Rarely has Uganda Cranes been in a situation where a bulk of the players are active at the top level ahead of a major engagement.

The Cranes qualified for the 2019 Nations Cup due June/July in Egypt with one match to spare, the first time in this kind of qualification format it is happening, when they edged Cape Verde 1-0 last November.

During coaches Bobby Williamson and Micho Sredojevic’s reigns, more than once the two struggled for active players, with several either out of contract at their clubs or simply not making the cut.

But with most leagues globally underway now, majority of the known national team players and those threatening to break through are enjoying good playing time.

That is a welcome relief for Cranes coach Sebastien Desabre ahead of Uganda’s final Afcon qualification match away to Tanzania on the weekend of March 22. Although KCCA and Vipers have been bundled out of the continent prior the group stages - the first time Uganda is not represented at that level in three years, the two clubs - which have most players in the Cranes set-up locally - will have benefitted from the four matches played on the continent respectively.

Patrick Kaddu, the man who the goal that confirmed Uganda’s qualification to Egypt, and Allan Okello – one of the possible wild cards to the finals – are some of those that impressed in the rather disappointing campaign.

They scored in KCCA’s 2-0 second leg defeat of Congo’s Otoho. The Uganda’s lost out 3-2 on aggregate while Vipers were dismissed 3-0 in total.

But the mileage and experience earned by these players, including Kaizer Chief’s Godfrey Walusimbi, cannot be downplayed. But there is even more positive news for Cranes and Desabre.

Six players including national team captain and Africa’s best goalkeeper as of 2018 Denis Onyango are playing in the group stages of the Caf Champions League and Confederation Cup.

The Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper, Onyango; defenders Savio Kabugo of DRC’s AS Vita (although he missed the weekend action) and Murushid Juuko of Simba, striker Emmanuel Okwi, and TP Mazembe leftback Joseph Ochaya are all assured of four more games in the Champions League.

Onyango’s understudy Salim Jamal is also in the Confederation Cup group stage after his side Al-Hilal of Sudan made the cut at the weekend.
Uganda top Group L on 13 points from five matches, followed by Lesotho and Tanzania on five and Cape Verde on four.

Afcon 2019
Cranes players in group stage
Denis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns, SA)
Savio Kabugo (AS Vita, DRC)
Emmanuel Okwi (Simba, TZ)
Murushid Juuko (Simba, TZ)
Joseph Ochaya (TP Mazembe, DRC)
Salim Jamal (Al-Hilal, SUD)
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