Moses Basena (centre) conducting the last training before the Congo Brazzaville game. File photo.
FOOTBALL–Uganda Cranes secured second spot in the just ended 2018 World Cup qualifiers finishing four points behind record African champions Egypt.
The Cranes ensured that they finished ahead of Ghana with a 1-1 draw away to bottom Congo in Brazzaville and with the Black Stars also drawing one all with Egypt, second place was all for Uganda.
Many see the second place and positive results against Egpyt and Ghana as a step in the right direction dispite the fact that Uganda only managed to score three goals in the six matches.
“We finally finished the 2018 World Cup qualifiers with a draw against Congo,” Basena said.
“Yes this may not be the best result we would have hoped for but definitely the team has made progress. Uganda is at a level now where we can compete with the best teams in Africa,” he added.
Cranes head coach Moses Basena made whole sell changes to both his squad and final 20-man team for last Sunday’s game sighting that the inexperienced players are the future to the team.
“Yes some of the senior players were absent for this game but everyone knows that we are in a transition where the new boys shall succeed those that have always been here,” he said.
One of the the so called new boys is Milton Karisa who scored the goal that leveled matters for the Cranes in the 14th minute of yesterday’s encounter.
Kalisa along with a few other players including Muzamir Mutyaba and Isaac Muleme(both started), Tom Matsiko, Ismail Watenga, Bernard Muwanga, Derrick Nsibambi and Nelson Ssenkatuka are highly tipped to be the ones to take over and looking at the last two campaigns, it is clear that they have learned a lot from the time they have spent next to the likes of team captain Denis Onyango and company.
Uganda’s next engagements include COSAFA under 20 championships, CECAFA, CHAN 2018 and the 2019 AFCON qualifiers.
Whether Basena remains the head coach of the Cranes come Wednesday when FUFA makes the long waited announcement, we are sure the transition will continue
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