Uganda’s President, Yoweri Museveni is set to meet the national football team, the Cranes, today at his country home in Rwakitura on invitation before the players set off to Morocco for the forthcoming Africa Nations Championship (CHAN).
Cranes who are under tutorship of a new coach, Sébatien Desabre, have Tuesday morning held a training at St Henry’s College Kitovu in Masaka after which they will leave for Rwakitura at midday.
The President will also use the opportunity to meet the new coach, Desabre a week after he took on the job, succeeding Micho Sredojivic who joined Orlando Pirates in South Africa in August last year.
According to Ahmed Hussein Marsha, the FUFA communications manager, the team will return to Kampala later on Tuesday.
“Tentatively, the team will leave Masaka today midday to Rwakitura and return immediately. They will fly aboard Qatar airways tomorrow at 3:00pm to Morocco”, he said while speaking to SoftPower News.
Uganda is in group B alongside Zambia, Namibia and Ivory Coast in the Championship. Cranes first game will be held on Jan 14, 2018 against Zambia, and will later play Namibia on January 18 before facing off with Ivory Coast in their last group match in Marrakech city.
Reports indicate that the team will first camp in Rabat to play two friendly games against Cameroon and Congo Brazzaville beginning this Saturday Jan 6.
CHAN championship is a CAF sanctioned tournament for only locally based players. Started in 2012 and since its commencement, Uganda has been participating but has never vamped out of the group stages.
The biggest question on Cranes’ supporters now is whether the new coach Desabre will lead Uganda to victory.