Africa-Press – Uganda. Uganda’s national football team of home-based players depart Tunisia for Algeria tomorrow hoping their jointly shared record of six Africa Nations Championship (Chan) tournaments goes an extra step at this seventh edition.
Decent preps
After 10 days in camp in Kampala, the Cranes put in another 10 in Tunisia, where they played three friendly matches against fellow Chan-bound Sudan, Cameroon and Mali.
They will now set camp in the Mediterranean port city of Annaba for their group matches.
Annaba is located in north-eastern Algeria, near the mouth of the Wadi Seybouse and close to the Tunisian border, which explains the choice of the pre-tournament Cranes camp.
Algiers, Oran and Constantine are the other host cities. Whether Uganda move on to another host city after group matches or back to Kampala is the eternal question.
For the previous five editions, the Cranes have returned to Kampala after their three mandated group matches.
Cranes coach Micho Sredojevic, who was in charge of Uganda on two of the five said occasions at South Africa 2014 and Rwanda 2016, and the country will hope to stay in Algeria a little longer.
To fine-tune that, the Cranes played and drew all their three friendly matches in Tunisia against Sudan (2-2), Cameroon (1-1) and Mali (0-0).
The task
“We have scored three goals and that is important,” said Micho ahead of the team’s connection to Algeria from Tunisia.
Micho gave all his players a chance in the said matches and will know by now who is starting against the DRC, with whom they share the record of six appearances, on Friday.
“We have seen the areas we need to address going forward. We have had a look at all the players and this has given us a proper assessment of where we stand.”
The three goals in the aforementioned friendlies were cancelled out on each occasion, and Uganda enter the match against DRC lacking the oomph that victory gives you.
Both areas – defence, transition and attack – will definitely have to be more than in the said friendlies, and more importantly, better than the previous five Chan editions if the Cranes are to stay in Algeria past the group.
DRC, Senegal and Ivory Coast will surely make it an even more challenging task, but one Uganda must stand up to be worthy of progression.
If the Cranes defence turns up the way they have done previously, and that is by conceding four at the tournament, the attack will then have to show up more than the three times they scored at each of the last editions.
Yet Uganda are not famous for freely expressing themselves in front of goal.
This leaves the defence and midfield the herculean task of minimizing leaks while looking for a smash and grab at the other end, seeing as they are unlikely to have much of the ball.
Group B
Uganda’s fixtures
Jan 14: DRC vs. Uganda, 7pm
Jan 18: Senegal vs. Uganda, 10pm
Jan 22: Uganda vs. Ivory Coast, 10pm
Friendly results
Uganda 0-0 Mali
Uganda 1-1 Cameroon
Uganda 0-0 Mali
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