By Andrew Irumba
2019 Cameroon AFCON Qualifier:
Uganda Vs Tanzania.
Date: 8th September 2018.
Venue: Mandela National Stadium, Namboole.
It’s only a matter of a few days to the first leg of the East African derby in the 2019 AFCON qualifiers between two footballing rivals, Uganda and Tanzania.
Friday 8th, September 2018, at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole, will be the day for the memorable clash, as Uganda Cranes aim to clear their way towards reaching their second consecutive AFCON finals in four years.
Uganda Cranes Head Coach, Sebastien Desabre on Monday 3rd, September 2018, trimmed his squad to twenty four (24) players, with six (6) dropped!
The selected twenty four immediately entered residential training beginning Monday, and the team will camp at Jokers Hotel in Kireka till the match day on Saturday.
Yasser Mugerwa, Isaac Isinde, Allan Kyambadde, Nicholas Ssebwato, Mustafa Mujuzi, and Martin Kizza are the six that have been dropped from the unveiled final squad to lock horns with Tanzania’s Taifa Stars.
The training will resume on Tuesday morning at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole with all the seven (7) foreign players who had not yet joined the camp expected to attend.
The seven foreign players include; Mamelodi Sundown’s safe hands and Uganda Cranes’ skipper, Denis Onyango, Moses Opondo, Farouk Miya, Yunus Ssentamu, William Luwagga Kizito, Derrick Nsibambi and Allan Kateregga.
Whenever the two countries meet there are spices which make the headlines across all angles, either from the fans, the tactical approach, or the technical execution by both the players and the coaches, and the final results are always determined by the slim details on the matchday.
The forthcoming encounter will this time be decided by numerous factors, the major ones being the history of the fixture between the two teams, technical execution of players, level of organization, and the tactical approach by both benches.
In the last ten meetings, Uganda Cranes have had the lion’s share, with six (6) wins, one (1) loss and one (1) draw.
Uganda’s regional (CECAFA) dominance gives her the needed advantage, and this fixture seems to be a simple one in regards to her rich history.
Full Uganda Cranes Squad:
Goalkeepers:
Denis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa), Jamal Salim (El Mereikh, Sudan), Charles Lukwago (KCCA FC, Uganda).
Defenders:
Denis Iguma (Kazma FC, Kuwait), Nico Wakiro Wadada (Azam, Tanzania), Godfrey Walusimbi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa) FC, Isaac Muleme (Haras El Hodood, Egypt), Murushid Jjuuko (Simba Sports Club, Tanzania), Denis Timothy Awanyi (KCCA FC, Uganda), Hassan Wasswa (El Geish, Egypt).
Midfielders:
Ibrahim Sadam Juma (KCCA FC, Uganda), Tadeo Lwanga (Vipers SC, Uganda), William Luwagga Kizito (BATE Borisov, Belarus), Joseph Ochaya (Lusaka Dynamo, Zambia), Moses Opondo (Vendsyssel, Denmark), Allan Kateregga (Cape Town City, South Africa), Khalid Aucho (Un-attached), Faruku Miya (Gorica, Croatia), Moses Waisswa (Vipers SC, Uganda).
Forwards:
Emmanuel Arnold Okwi (Simba SC, Tanzania), Yunus Sentamu (FK Tirana, Albania), Edrisa Lubega (SV Ried, Austria), Derrick Nsibambi (Smouha, Egypt), Patrick Henry Kaddu (KCCA FC, Uganda).
