SINAN RAJUB SENOGA
England based striker Uche Ikpeazu Mubiru will have to wait a little longer for his Uganda Cranes debut after pulling out of the initial summoned squad.
Mubiru requested for his exclusion which was later confirmed by the interim coach Abdallah Mubiru on Wednesday.
“Unfortunately for Mubiru, he won’t be joining us. He requested to step aside. He has some issues to sort”
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Abdallah Mubiru said.
Ikpeazu Mubiru turns out for English Championship side Wycombe Wanderers but hasn’t yet featured for the Uganda Cranes since he was first summoned in March last year by Johnathan McKinstry.
He had an opportunity to feature in the most recent AFCON qualification games against South Sudan but pulled out because of an ankle injury.
For starters, Karl Anthony Uche Ikpeazu Mubiru was born in London to a Nigerian father and Ugandan mother Marion Lule Ikpeazu 26 years ago.
He has had stints at English clubs Reading, Watford, Crewe Alexander, Doncaster, Cambridge United, Port Vale, Blackpool and Scotland’s Hearts of Midlothian from where he joined Wycombe Wanderers.
The stocky striker has so far scored four goals in the 22 games he has played this season with his most recent goal coming in the 3-1 defeat to Barnsley on Wednesday night.
His exclusion leaves Emma Okwi, Fahad Bayo, Patrick Kaddu, Yunus Sentamu and Daniel Isiagi as the only strikers available in Abdallah Mubiru’s squad.
The squad is expected to kick off preparations on Thursday ahead of the two final group games against Burkina Faso and Malawi.
Uganda will host Burkina Faso at Kitende on Wednesday 24th March before visiting Malawi in Blantyre five days later.
The Cranes are second on the Group B table with seven points, one behind leaders Burkina Faso and three more than second placed Malawi.
