AFCON QUALIFIERS: Buoyant Cranes Hold Second Day Training Ahead Of Burkina Faso Encounter

The Cranes, Uganda’s national football team, has Sunday morning held their second day training ahead of Wednesday’s encounter against Burkina Faso in the AFCON 2021 qualifiers.

Uganda is second in group B on seven points and will face leaders Burkina Faso on Wednesday March 24 March in Kampala before ending the campaign away against Malawi.

The team trained from St. Mary’s Kitende Stadium at 10am in a session where media coverage was allowed for the first 15 minutes. The ‘boys’ who are currently residing at Cranes Paradise Hotel in Kisaasi, held their first training session at the Omondi Stadium in Lugogo on Saturday.

Head Coach, Abdallah Mubiru, his assistant Livingstone Mbabazi and goal keeping Coach, Fred Kajoba summoned 31 players. Some of them already in the camp include Jamal Salim (Al Hilal, Sudan), Charles Lukwago(KCCA FC-Uganda), Lwaliwa Halid (Vipers SC-Uganda), Lwanga Taddeo (Simba SC- Tanzania), Michael Azira (New Mexico United-, USA), Allan Okello (Paradou, Algeria), Lumala Abdu (Pyramids FC- Egypt), Lumala Abdu (Pyramids FC- Egypt) and Bobosi Byaruhanga (Vipers SC-Uganda).

Dennis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa), Mugabi Bevis (Motherwell FC- Scotland), Ronald Mukiibi(Ostersunds FK, Sweden), Timothy Denis Awany (Sport Club Ironi, Ashdod, Israel), Joseph Ochaya (TP Mazembe, Democratic Republic of Congo), Elvis Bwomono (Southend United, England), Miya Faruku (Konyaspor- Turkey), Kizito Luwagga (Hapoel Kfar Saba- Israel) and Fahad Bayo (Sport Club Ironi Ashdod, Israel) are among those expected to join the team soon.

A win for Uganda against Burkina Faso in Kampala on Wednesday will see them qualify for their third successive AFCON tournament after spending nearly 40 years without qualifying for the Nations Cup.

Tactician Mubiru said in an interview recently that the Wednesday game will not be an easy one but implored players to restore the winning spirit.

“I know, it will not be an easy game against Burkina Faso but we have the potential to get the positive results. The winning spirit of playing at home needs to be back. This was not visible in the last game played against South Sudan (Uganda lost against South Sudan in the previous match away from home),” said Mubiru.

He added that winning against Burkina Faso at home will give them the confidence as well as motivating the team heading into the away contest against Malawi.

The 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is scheduled to be held in Cameroon next year. It was due to played between 9 January and 6 February 2021, but had to be re-arranged due to the global COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on qualifying fixtures.

Cameroon (hosts), Senegal, Algeria, Mali and Tunisia already secured their qualification.