Thursday , March 28 2024
Home / NEWS / LIVE: Uganda Cranes ready to grab AFCON last 16 place

LIVE: Uganda Cranes ready to grab AFCON last 16 place

Uganda’s forward Emmanuel Okwi (2nd-L) celebrates after scoring a goal during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) football match between Uganda and Zimbabwe at the Cairo International Stadium on June 26 , 2019.  PHOTO AFP

FT: Uganda 🇺🇬  1 (Okwi ’12) Zimbabwe 🇿🇼  1 (Billiat ’41)
💠 18 Denis Onyango
💠 5 Bevis Kristofer Kizito Mugabi
💠 15 Godfrey Walusimbi
💠 12 Ronald Brian Mukiibi Ddungu
💠 16 Hassan Wasswa Mawanda
💠 23 Michael Azira
💠 7 Emmanuel Arnold Okwi
💠 8 Khalid Aucho
💠 17 Faruku Miya
💠 9 Patrick Henry Kaddu
💠 22 Abdu Lumala

Cairo, Egypt | THE INDEPENDENT | With a single change from the team that humiliated DRC, Uganda Cranes head coach Sebastien Desabre has shown he intends to play for all three points and history today.

Victory for Uganda today will see them make it to the next round and condemn Zimbabwe to an early exit in the Nations Cup. A victory will also see Cranes make it to the knockout stages for the first time since 1978, where they brushed aside giants Nigeria to earn the right to face eventual winners Ghana.

Uganda go into today’s game with three points after humiliating DRC 2-0, while the Zimbabwe Warriors will be seeking to get their first points, after being seen off 1-0 by hosts Egypt in their opener.

The only change is at the back, where Swedish based Brian Ronald Mukiibi Ddungu replaces Murushid Juuko. The rest of the players are maintained.

The winners and runners-up in each group and the best four third-place teams – a total of 16 – qualify for the second round.

Uganda Cranes XI:

Denis Onyango (G.K), Bevis Kristofer Kizito Mugabi, Godfrey Walusimbi, Ronald Brian Mukiibi Ddungu, Hassan Wasswa Mawanda, Michael Azira, Emmanuel Arnold Okwi, Khalid Aucho, Faruku Miya, Patrick Henry Kaddu, Abdu Lumala

SUBS: Robert Odongkara (G.K), Salim Omar Magoola (G.K), Joseph Benson Ochaya, Timothy Dennis Awany, Tadeo Lwanga, Paul Derrick Nsibambi, Allan Kateregga, Isaac Muleme, William Luwaga Kizito, Nico Wakiro Wadada, Isaac Muleme,Murushid Juuko

Desbare confident

Pre-match, Desabre told the media that the team is focused on the task ahead. “We are focused and concentrated for the Zimbabwe game on Wednesday. The win we registered against DR Congo now means for nothing,” he said.

He argued that they need maximum points against Zimbabwe so that they head to the final game with Egypt “relaxed and already qualified.”

Goalkeeper and team captain Denis Onyango was equally positive. “Personally, I will admit that I know most of the Zimbabwe players. I have played with some of them in the same clubs and majority play in the PSL. We are set and determined to face Zimbabwe. There is no need to underrate them because they have quality players.”

THE TEAM THAT BEAT DRC : (FRONT L to R) Michael Azira,  Godfrey Walusimbi, Farouk Miya, Lumala Abdu,Patrick Kaddu; (BACK) Bevis Mugabi, Murshid Juuko; Emmanuel Okwi, Khalid Aucho, Hassan Wasswa, Denis Onyango. PHOTO AFP

Group A         
                      P     W     D      L      G      A     GA     Pts 

Uganda  🇺🇬   1     1      0      0      2       0      2        3

Egypt    🇪🇬     1      1      0      0       1      0      1         3

Zimbabwe 🇿🇼1      0      0      1      0       1     -1        0

DR Congo 🇨🇩  1      0      0      1      0       2      -2       0

A brief history

The two nations have not played each other before at a competitive level in African or World Cup qualifying matches, which makes it an unpredictable encounter today.

The head-to-head record in the matches played so far favours Uganda, but the very last enounter between the two countries ended in a Zimbabwe victory.

Date Match Result Score Competition
20 Nov 1981 Uganda v Zimbabwe D 0-0 CECAFA Cup
06 Jun 1982 Zimbabwe v Uganda L 2-1 International Friendly
13 Jun 1982 Zimbabwe v Uganda D 1-1 International Friendly
20 Nov 1982 Uganda v Zimbabwe D 1-1 CECAFA Cup
23 Nov 1983 Uganda v Zimbabwe L 0-1 CECAFA Cup
22 Jul 1984 Zimbabwe v Uganda L 1-0 International Friendly
04 Dec 1984 Uganda v Zimbabwe W 4-1 CECAFA Cup
16 Dec 1987 Zimbabwe v Uganda D 0-0 CECAFA Cup
16 Dec 1987 Uganda v Zimbabwe D 2-2 CECAFA Cup
08 Nov 1988 Uganda v Zimbabwe D 0-0 CECAFA Cup
06 Dec 1989 Uganda v Zimbabwe D 1-1 CECAFA Cup
22 Aug 2004 Zimbabwe v Uganda L 2-0 International Friendly
06 Dec 2011 Zimbabwe v Uganda W 0-1 CECAFA Cup
31 May 2016 Zimbabwe v Uganda L 2-0 International Friendly

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *