It’s make-or-break for the Cranes as they face Egypt
Uganda midfielder Shafiq Batambuze (centre) gets ready to take part in a training session in Port-Gentil on Thursday in Gabon. PHOTO | AFP
What you need to know:
- The mood of people here was high that the Cranes could at least impress, considering that it had taken them nearly 40 years to qualify for the finals
Kampala. Black Stars spoiled the party for millions of Ugandans on Tuesday evening when Uganda Cranes lost 0-1 to the sturdy Ghanaians in the Group D qualifying match in the on-going Afcon 2017 in Gabon.
The mood of people here was high that the Cranes could at least impress, considering that it had taken them nearly 40 years to feature in the continental soccer competition during which it lost to the same Ghananians in the final match in Accra.
That was not to be early this week but the Ugandans are still hoping their national team still had a chance to cruise through to the elimination round of the prestigious soccer tourney.
The Cranes face Egypt this evening at Port Gentil city in a duel which will find them either advancing or exiting the tournament. Nothing in between.
Soccer pundits here predicted the Ugandans had an advantage to win their first match over the Ugandans on Tuesday, including fielding Denis Onyango,, the 2016 African Player of the Year. An analyst, writing in one of the leading national newspapers,New Vision, gave Uganda a sixty per cent chances of winning against Ghana on Tuesday.
Yesterday, he gave the Egyptians 80 per cent of victory, saying Uganda’s chances of surviving the onslaught from the Pharaohs rested on Onyango and to a slight extent its full back one Denis Iguma.
The Ugandans, now at the tail of Group D without any point, would only wait for the miracles to advance if they force the Pharaohs to any draw - and not short of that. A victory this evening will put them in a much more comfortable position.
The Group is now led by Ghana with three points, followed by Mali and Egypt, each with a point following their draw on the same day the Cranes were defeated.
After the rather dismal start,discussion about the team’s chances in Total Africa Cup of Nations, as Afcon 2017 is known, the soccer fans are no longer paying much attention, especially given the slim chances. However, Uganda is not short of people who believe in miracles, considering that the outcome of every soccer match is normally decided in 90 minutes. That is despite the team pittied on Egypt and Ghana which have won the African Cup of Nations many times before and Mali, which has been to many finals.
