Baby Cranes plot for Ivory Coast scalp
Kenya's John Baraka runs through a pair of Ugandan defenders on Day One. Kenya won 54-20. PHOTO | KENYA RUGBY UNION
What you need to know:
- Against Kenya on Saturday, Uganda had to bunch above their weight as the pre match photo of the Cranes captain Daniel Okello standing next to his Kenyan counterpart John Baraka had suggested.
The Baby Rugby Cranes, the national U-20 side, played its first official match in three years since that infamous 14-12 home defeat to Zambia at Kyadondo in 2019.
Against Kenya on Saturday, Uganda had to bunch above their weight as the pre match photo of the Cranes captain Daniel Okello standing next to his Kenyan counterpart John Baraka had suggested.
It ended 54-20 for Kenya but Cranes’ forwards coach Martial Tchumkam is looking ahead. “ Many of you (Ugandans) are disappointed with the first but the boys fought well against a good side despite not having a lot of sessions,” he told Daily Monitor yesterday prior to a session for Wednesday’s classification tie against West Africans Ivory Coast.
“We have done some analysis on the Ivory Coast game and we shall make a number of changes because we discovered our strength is in the forwards,” he added. Head coach Richard Lumu is impressed with how his side is approaching the tournament even with the odds against them.
Skipper Okello and Emmanuel Ochan got Uganda’s tries against Kenya to keep it close at 11-10 by the break only for Uganda to wilt in the second half as Kenya pulled away with one score after another.
Ivory Coast presents Uganda another test tomorrow morning as they play for places having been eliminated at the quarterfinal stage.
As Uganda Rugby Union Executive Members Dorothy Nekesa (Age grade and development) and vice president technical Oscar Olaro take their seats at the Nyayo National Stadium,they should be cooking something on how the game at that level can move places and feed the national sides.
Uganda who replaced Senegal at the tournament are now left with one mission in Nairobi, avoid ending up seventh or eighth as it would require playing in a repechage competition for a slot at the next year’s event.
U20 AFRICA BARTHES CUP
Result
Kenya 54 -20 Uganda
Wednesday
Classification Matches
Zambia vs Tunisia 9.00am
Ivory Coast vs Uganda 11.30am
Semifinals
Kenya v Namibia 2.00pm
Madagascar v Zimbabwe 4.30pm
