Africa-Press – Uganda. Uganda coach Micho Sredojevic was straight up in his final address to the nation before the Cranes left for Kigali, Rwanda last night.
“With due respect to Rwanda,” said the man, who coached the Amavubi Stars before taking up Uganda in his first national team stint here in 2013, “our target is to get maximum points from these games.”
The Cranes face Rwanda in Kigali tomorrow looking to give their 2022 Fifa World Cup qualification campaign a lift before hosting them at St Mary’s Stadium, Kitende on Sunday.
“Nothing short of that,” added Micho. His captain, Khalid Aucho chipped in: “We will be playing for nothing less than a win in the two games against Rwanda.”
Clearer direction chance
Given that Mali, who host Kenya in Agadir, Morocco on the same Match Day Three, top the group on four points from two games, the Cranes – level on two with the Harambee Stars – know that it is the back-to-back clashes against Rwanda that will give them a clearer direction.
And Micho and Aucho see that direction as six points. But they will have to do a first for them to achieve it.
Available records indicate that Uganda have never beaten Rwanda in Rwanda in any competition – be it qualifiers, Cecafa or friendlies.
Actually, Rwanda have won five out of 10 they have hosted Uganda, with the other five draws giving the Cranes hope that they can at least pick a point from Kigali and add three in Kampala.
That said, it should be remembered that it was under Micho when Uganda ended the away curse on the way to the 2017 Gabon Afcon finals when the Cranes qualified for the first time since 1978.
AWAY SHOWS
Aug 17, 1996: Rwanda 0-0 Uganda, friendly
Aug 16, 1998: Rwanda 0-0 Uganda, Afcon qualifiers
July 31, 1999: Rwanda 1-0 U ganda,Cecafa quarters
Aug 1, 1999: Rwanda 1-0 Uganda, Cecafa quarterfinals
July 4, 2000: Rwanda 2-0 Uganda, friendly
Dec 1, 2001: Rwanda 3-2 Uganda, Cecafa
March 29, 2003: Rwanda 0-0 Uganda, Afcon qualifiers
May 28, 2004: Rwanda 1-1 Uganda, friendly
Feb 6, 2013: Rwanda 2-2 Uganda, friendly
August 19, 2018: Rwanda 2-0 Uganda, Chan qualifiers
Note: Both Uganda and Rwanda entered sides A and B in the 1999 Cecafa championship, which explains the hosts eliminating Uganda in two quarterfinals
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