Africa-Press – Uganda. The Uganda Cranes need at least three points from their last two Group B matches over the next five days to guarantee qualification to the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) due next year in Cameroon.
Whereas the Cranes host Burkina Faso later this afternoon at St Mary’s Stadium in Kitende, it is a tough fixture for interim head coach Abdallah Mubiru’s side, if history is anything to go by.
The Cranes have managed just one victory in seven meetings against the men from Ouagadougou in 17 years.
At a time the Cranes need to wade off the qualification permutations, they also face a tough statistic: they have not scored a goal in the last three meetings with Burkinabe.
However, Mubiru has a player to pick on: Yunus Ssentamu. The Vipers’ player was summoned after picking up form with six goals thus far in the Uganda Premier League.
Ssentamu is the man who engineered Cranes’ only win against Burkina Faso, in a 2-1 victory during the 2014 Africa Nations Championship (Afcon) finals in South Africa. The striker tucked away a brace in that fixture, with the goals coming the 15th and 73rd minute on January 12, 2014.
Since then, the two teams have faced off thrice, twice during the successful 2017 Afcon qualification route where; Burkinabe won 1-0 in Ouagadougou thanks to Jonathan Pitroipa’s penalty on March 26, 2016. Pitroipa could have won it again in Namboole in the return leg three days later but custodian Denis Onyango pulled off a save, the tie ending goalless.
During Cranes’ group opener in the current campaign, the side then under Johnny McKinstry on November 13, 2019, held Burkinabe to another goalless draw at Stade du 4 Août.
The two sides first met in round two of the 2006 Fifa World Cup qualifiers.
HEAD TO HEAD
Nov 13, 2019: Burkina Faso 0-0 UgandaMar 29, 2016: Uganda 0-0 Burkina FasoMar 26, 2016: Burkina Faso 1-0 UgandaJan 12, 2014: Uganda 2-1 Burkina FasoAug 29, 2006: Uganda 0-0 Burkina FasoOct 8, 2005: Uganda 2-2 Burkina FasoSept 4, 2004: Burkina Faso 2-0 Uganda
