Why Cranes shouldn’t set foot off gas pedal
Chasing a record. Denis Onyango entering an elite club of goalkeepers who have gone through the entirety of a qualifying campaign without conceding a goal. Photo by Eddie Chicco
When Uganda used Patrick Kaddu’s lone goal to vanquish Cape Verde and book a ticket to the 32nd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations finals due to be staged in June, Blue Sharks coach Rui Águas had one request post match. Cape Verde’s Portuguese tactician practically begged the Cranes to beat Tanzania on the final matchday of the qualifying event.
By the end of today, Águas will know if the pieces in his complicated jigsaw puzzle fit perfectly. The 58-year-old will, however, need more than just Uganda doing him a favour. Cape Verde, who go into today’s final matchday rock bottom of Group L, will also need to secure maximum points at home to Lesotho in Praia.
Many Ugandans can relate to such a cliffhanger. Before making the grade for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations finals, Cranes fans were accustomed to grappling with intricate permutations at the business end of qualifying campaigns. Not anymore.
This does not mean that Cranes will head into today’s match with a foot off the gas pedal. No. The team’s coach, Sebastian Desabre has made it abundantly clear that he has every intention of finishing the campaign on a high note. The reasoning is that an eye-watering haul of 16 points (in the event that the Cranes manage a record-extending third win on the road) might well secure Uganda a favourable draw when lots for the 32nd edition of African football’s showpiece tournament are drawn.
Then there is the small matter of Cranes skipper, Denis Onyango entering an elite club of goalkeepers who have gone through the entirety of a qualifying campaign without conceding a goal. Onyango has told anyone that cares to listen that such a record would mean the world to him. This column extends its best wishes to him and indeed the rest of the team.
