David GOMBE
Uganda Cranes will take on an already qualified Algeria in their final Group G World Cup qualifier match on Tuesday at the Hocine Ait Ahmed Stadium.
The Cranes need to maximize points against Algeria to stand a chance in the playoffs.
Uganda has 18 points in the group while Algeria with 22 points sealed their slot in North America’s World Cup with victory over Somalia last week.
Paul Put’s men are currently ranked seventh placed with 12 points after points deduction against bottom placed Somalia in the fight to finish among the best four ranked second placed teams for a continental playoff.
In the battle for a playoff slot, victory will see Uganda go level on points with Niger, Burkina Faso and Cameroon who concluded their matches.
Captain Khalid Aucho is confident ahead of the crucial tie.
“Yeah, the players are ready. We travelled for two days, and the group handled everything with great professionalism. Yesterday we had a very good training session, and today we completed our final one with everyone in good condition.”
“All the players are fit, motivated, and ready to give their best. For us, the focus is on delivering tomorrow. We need to give our best for the game.”
Head Coach Paul Put commended his players’ spirit and determination ahead of the crucial encounter.
“Our journey to Algeria took some time, but I am very happy with how the players have responded. What I saw in training gives me a lot of confidence. The players are ready to give everything to make the people proud and to make themselves proud,’ said Put. ‘It will be a big game in a full stadium with seventy thousand people, but I have full trust in this team. They have shown strong attitude and professionalism, and we believe in what we can achieve.”
“I want to thank our supporters. They always give us great energy. We ask them to stay behind the team and remain positive as we go into this important match.” Said the Belgian tactician Put
Key Players
Uganda Cranes will look up to Allan Okello who has been involved in six goals during the World Cup qualification campaign, scoring three and assisting as many.
For Algeria, Mohamed Amoura has been involved in 12 goals with eight goals and 4 assists.
Previous Meetings
Algeria has won their previous four meetings against Uganda in all competitions including the reverse fixture 2-1 at Namboole.
