David GOMBE
Uganda Cranes head coach Milutin Sredojevic alias Micho asserts that his team entered the AFCON qualifying campaign in an enormous risk with a transitional squad but they need a good product on the final day.
Uganda will face off with Niger in the final AFCON Qualifier due on 7th September at Grand Stade Marrakech in Morocco.
“It is all about the final product. It is a campaign that we entered in an enormous risk with a transitional squad that has nine players from the finalists of AFCON U20 in Mauritania, 2021 with only few senior players and four survivors from the team of 2019 when we played AFCON, that is Emma Okwi, Khalid Aucho, Faruku Miya and Joseph Ochaya. (Salim Jamal was also in Egypt for the AFCON 2019 Finals).”
The Serbian tactician who named a 33 man squad for Niger game however remains optimistic that Uganda have a perfect chance to qualify for the continental showpiece.
“First of all, I need to say before even starting this qualifier we knew there were two parts in this group; one is Algeria the run-away leaders and the second one is Tanzania and Niger. Now Niger is out of contention due to points and us (Uganda) and Tanzania are perfectly still in. We have a perfect chance that if we win against Niger, we qualify for the AFCON.” Micho said as per FUFA website
The locally based players excluding those currently occupied with club activities will play a regional tour match in Luweero on 19th August 2023 and then return to their clubs. The selected local-based players will then return to the camp on 28th August 2023 for Uganda Cranes’ duty against Niger.
The team is expected to depart for Marrakech Morocco on September 3rd September.