Never in the history of Ugandan football have the Cranes gone into the last qualifying round of the Africa Cup of Nations without any pressure or whatsoever.
That the current state as the Cranes touch base in Tanzania for their last Total Africa Cup of Nations
Cranes are already winner of Group L with 13 points, third-placed Tanzania are on five with just with an inferior head to head with Lesotho who are in second place, also on five points.
The last meeting between the two at Namboole was a barren draw, it was Desabre’s first competitive game at home but also the first since the 2018 CHAN finals in Morocco.
Cranes’ only interest in this tie would be to keep another clean sheet, they have kept five already and they remain the only side in the qualifiers yet to concede a goal.
“It would be a record for us as a team” Cranes skipper Denis Onyango told www.football-256.com in January. “It’s something we are working for and we won’t make it easy for Tanzania.”
A lot has changed since then, first-teamers Denis Iguma and Hassan Wswwa will miss the tie through injury and suspension respectively. This will force coach Sebastien Desabre to make changes.
Timothy Awany is likely to partner Murushid Juuko at the heat of defence, there is Vipers’ defender Halid Lwaliwa also in contention.
In midfield, Taddeo Lwanga is most likely to partner Khalid Aucho if Desabre decides to go with two defensive midfielders.
Miya Faruku has scored three goals for Uganda in the campaign, all those against Lesotho, two of those away in Maseru.
He was the last to join the camp in Ismailia on Thursday and sounded confident, just like his captain and Desabre.
“We are ready for the task ahead of us on Sunday and I know Tanzania will come with full force wanting to win the match to secure that qualification slot but we also want to finish the campaign on a high. So we shall give it our best shot,” Miya told the FUFA website.
Full Uganda Cranes team
Goalkeepers: Denis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa), Salim Magoola (Al Hilal, South), Robert Odongkara (Adama City, Ethiopia)
Defenders: Murushid Juuko (Simba, Tanzania), Timothy Awany (KCCA, Uganda), Halid Lwaliwa (Vipers, Uganda), Geoffrey Walusimbi (Free Agent), Joseph Ochaya (TP Mazembe, DR Congo), Kirizestom Ntambi (Ethiopian Coffee), Nico Wakiro Wadada (Azam, Tanzania)
Midfielders: Khalid Aucho (Churchhill Brothers, India), Hassan Wasswa Mawanda (Free Agent), Tadeo Lwanga (Vipers, Uganda), Ibrahim Sadam Juma (KCCA, Uganda), Moses Waiswa (Vipers, Uganda), Moses Opondo (Vendsyssel FF, Denmark)
Forwards: Faruku Miya (Gorica, Croatia), Emmanuel Arnold Okwi (Simba, Tanzania), Allan Kyambadde (KCCA, Uganda), Allan Okello (KCCA, Uganda), Edrisa Lubega (SV Ried, Austria), Muhammad Shaban (Raja Casablanca, Morocco), Henry Patrick Kaddu (KCCA, Uganda), Milton Karisa (MC Oujda, Morocco
