Author: Ahmed Marsha

The first lady of Uganda, also the Minister of Education and Sports Hon. Janet Kataha Museveni has specially congratulated the Uganda Cranes upon the recent back to back victories over the Lesotho national football team in the group L 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier.

Uganda Cranes overcame the Southern Africa country 3-0 and 2-0 at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole and at Setsoto stadium in Maseru respectively to accumulate 10 points after 4 games in the campaign, leaving Uganda with just a point within qualification to the 2019 finals that will be staged in Cameroon.

Emmanuel Okwi netted twice and Faruku Miya (penalty) were on target in the Namboole game as Miya carried the day with a brace in the return leg played on artificial surface in Maseru.

The Uganda Cranes contingent to Maseru traveled by a chartered flight offered by President Yoweri Kaguta Mueveni which helped a lot the national team to travel with ease within three days of the return leg after the Namboole success.

Here is the First Lady’s detailed message:

I must begin by thanking God for his goodness and for empowering our boys and leading them as we now see. Then, of course, I congratulate them for emerging victorious during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier return match against Lesotho 2-0 on Tuesday, 16th October 2018 in Lesotho, after the previous win of 3-0 at Mandela National Stadium on Saturday 13th October  2018. Our national team’s performance has been very impressive putting us on the verge of qualifying for the 2019 AFCON Championships due in Cameroon.

On behalf of Government, my Ministry and all the people of Uganda, I salute the Uganda Cranes, Coach Sebastien Desabre and his Technical Team, FUFA, National Council of Sports, and the fans for the observable progress we have registered in performance and development of Ugandan football, and indeed Ugandan sports in general.

As we celebrate our recent performance, I call upon the players, technical officials, fans and supporters to remain humble, focused to the very end. For I believe that this is merely the beginning, the best is yet to come.

In a very special way, I thank the President of Uganda, Cabinet in its entirety and Parliament for supporting sports in general, but the president especially for providing quick means of transport to Lesotho and some support for our pocket expenses to the team. We, at the Ministry, remain committed to provide all the prayer back up, logistical and financial support to Ugandan sports teams within available resources.

May I wish the Uganda Cranes team, continued blessings and a successful AFCON 2019 qualification campaign, therefore, as we look forward to an even brighter future for Ugandan sports.

God Bless us all!

Janet K. Museveni

FIRST LADY AND MINISTER OF EDUCATION AND SPORTS 

The victorious Uganda Cranes contingent that traveled to Lesotho for the 2019 Total AFCON qualifier safely returned home on Wednesday afternoon.

The group set foot at Entebbe International Airport aboard the chartered flight facilitated by the Government of Uganda at around 3:15 PM in great moods following a 2-0 away win over Lesotho at the Setsoto stadium in Maseru city with Faruku Miya scoring both goals.

They were received by FUFA officials led by the third Vice President Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi, who is also the State Minister for Youth and Children affairs.

FUFA Finance Director Decolas Kiiza and Communications Manager Ahmed Hussein were also at the tarmac to receive the team Football Delegates and several FUFA staff were also in Entebbe.

‘We are very delighted for the two back to back wins against Lesotho. Winning 3-0 at home and 2-0 away was superb as we get closer to AFCON 2019 qualification’ Nakiwala stated.

Majority of the players on board were locally based since some foreign based players connected straight from the Moshoeshoe International Airport in Maseru to their respective destinations to return to their clubs.

Goalkeepers Salim Jamal and Charles Lukwago, Sadam Ibrahim Juma, Derrick Nsibambi, Hassan Wasswa Mawanda, Khalid Aucho, Emmanuel Arnold Okwi, Moses Waiswa, Isaac Isinde, Timothy Dennis Awany, Tadeo Lwanga, Allan Kyambadde, Patrick Henry Kaddu are some of the players who returned home on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, other players like Miya, Edrisa Lubega, Godfrey Walusimbi, team captain Dennis Onyango, Nico Wakiro Wadada, Murushid Jjuuko, Dennis Iguma, Allan Kateregga connected to their respective clubs where they ply their trade.

Addressing the media moments after checking through the immigration department at Entebbe International Airport, head coach Sebastien Desabre appreciated the effort of the players for the job well done.

‘We played with a target to get maximum points in the two legs against Lesotho. We achieved it and we remain focused to qualify for AFCON 2019. I thank the players, technical team, FUFA, fans and the Government’ Desabre told the media.

Emmanuel Okwi, like the head coach narrated the targets they had set – winning the two back to back matches, which gave them an advantage coming to the final two matches.

‘It is good that the players had a target and achieved it. There are two more matches and we should not relax, we need two more wins to finish top’ Okwi, who plays for Simba Sports Club in Tanzania stated.

FUFA President Eng. Moses Magogo once again reminded the media about the genesis of the federation’s plans when he took over office in 2013.

‘These results are not by accident. They are a result of planning. We held a symposium in 2015 attended by the Vice President of Uganda, Hon. Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi. We set ourselves targets and how to achieve them. These are some of the fruits. We have not yet qualified for AFCON 2019, but the prime objective remains to qualify when we secure at least a point in the remaining two matches. Eng. Magogo disclosed.

Uganda Cranes will get back to action on 17th November 2019 at Namboole Stadium against Cape Verde.

TOTAL AFCON CAMEROON 2019 QUALIFIERS:

• Tuesday, 16th October 2018
• Lesotho Likuena Vs Uganda Cranes
• At Setsoto Stadium, Maseru

*Live on 102.1 FUFA fm and all official FUFA Social media platforms

Uganda Cranes has a chance to seal the 2019 AFCON slot on Tuesday, 16th October 2018 with a victory away to Lesotho (provided Tanzania fails to beat Cape Verde in Dar es salaam).

Currently, the Cranes have 7 points from three matches (two wins and one draw) as they seek maximum points over the Southern Africa country.

Last Saturday, Uganda Cranes beat Lesotho 3-0 at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole.

A chartered flight facilitated by the Government of Uganda enabled the team reach Maseru on Sunday well in time of the Tuesday game.

They were checked in at the Avani Hotel in Maseru, a 5 minute drive from the Setsoto Stadium.

On Sunday evening, the team held a one hour recovery session meant to help the players stretch the muscles after 90 minutes of action on Saturday and a six hour flight from Entebbe International Airport with a stop over in Lusaka, Zambia.

The final session was held on Monday evening (same time of the match) for one hour with emphasis stressed on prolific finishing in the final third of the field.

“We have had two good training sessions in Lesotho at the Setsoto stadium. The players are all in shape and focused for the game. We have the quality and happy for their response” Head coach, Sebastien Desabre disclosed to www.fufa.co.ug after the Monday session.

Defender Murushid Jjuuko, suspended during the first leg because of accumulated cautions is available for selection alongside the other 23 players.

The coach has kept the starting eleven closer to his chest.

“We know the reason why we traveled to Lesotho. The morale is high in the camp and this is good motivation for us as players.” vice captain Hassan Wasswa Mawanda disclosed.

The match will be officiated by FIFA referees from Comoros.

Match Officials:

Center Referee: Ali Mohammed Adelaid

1st Assistant Referee: Soulaimane Amaldine

2nd Assistant Referee: Said Omar Chebli.

Uganda Cranes Players Available for Selection:

Goalkeepers: Denis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa), Jamal Salim (El Meriekh, Sudan), Charles Lukwago (KCCA FC, Uganda)

Defenders: Murushid Juuko (Simba SC, Tanzania), Nico Wakiro Wadada (Azam FC, Tanzania), Godfrey Walusimbi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa), Hassan Wasswa Mawanda (El Geish, Egypt), Dennis Iguma (Kazma FC, Kuwait),  Isaac Isinde (Kirinya Jinja SS, Uganda), FC, Isaac Muleme (Haras El Hodood, Egypt), Timothy Denis Awanyi (KCCA FC, Uganda)

Midfielders: Khalid Aucho (Church Hill Brothers, India), Moses Waiswa (Vipers Sc, Uganda), Joseph Benson Ochaya (TP Mazembe, DR Congo), Ibrahim Sadam Juma (KCCA FC, Uganda), Tadeo Lwanga (Vipers SC, Uganda), Allan Kateregga (Cape Town City, South Africa), Milton Karisa (MC Oujda, Morocco), Allan Kyambadde (KCCA, Uganda),

Forwards: Edrisa Lubega (SV Ried, Austria), Patrick Kaddu (KCCA FC, Uganda), Faruku Miya (Gorica, Croatia), Emmanuel Okwi (Simba Sports Club, Tanzania), Derrick Nsibambi (Smouha, Egypt)

The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) President Eng. Moses Magogo has saluted the Government of Uganda for the timely financial and logistical support over time for the Federation and Uganda Cranes in particular.

Speaking from Avani Maseru Hotel in Maseru city, Lesotho where the Uganda Cranes team is currently camped prior to the Total AFCON 2019 qualifier against the home country on Tuesday, Eng. Magogo specifically thanked President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and First Lady Janet Museveni-Minister of Education and Sports for the timely support of Shs 200M and a chartered flight to Lesotho, where commercial flights are a menace.

Eng. Moses Magogo’s full interview:

We would like to thank the Government for the support they have given us. Traveling in Africa is not an everyday thing especially the level of infrastructure of our Continent.

There are some countries which are very difficult to reach to especially by public transport. The countries that are well off have been doing this very perfectly.

I would love to inform the public that our plea to the head of state was answered by a chartered flight. We left on Sunday morning  with about 99 people on board including players, officials, fans and the media.We had a stop over in Zambia until we reached well in Maseru.

Surely, we can not ask for more and the players understand this, they appreciate. Gone are the days when some people were pulling and others pushing. Now, we all seem to be pushing together.

This is just the beginning of very many things to come. In 2014, we had an ambition of qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019.

The target seemed to be far initially. Of course, there was the 2017 AFCON campaign. This was merely a learning curve for us. There are targets we set alongside accomplishing the 8 pillars of football development that we had to address and i am sure that some of these have been addressed especially educating club coaches which train the players from where the head coach selects.

We wanted qualification to AFCON to become an everyday routine but rather not as a benchmark to weigh the successes of FUFA. Let us wait for the positive results and we believe we shall achieve them like anticipated, then we step up the next gear. There is the the element of heading to AFCON to compete and qualifying for Qatar World  Cup 2022 among other targets.

The most important thing has been our will  to thank Allah for the guidance, wisdom and health for what we have achieved and not achieved. Most importantly, has been the new aspect of planning. There is a total plan and this is being executed to the dot.

Uganda Cranes face Lesotho Likuena (Crocodiles) at the Setsoto Stadium on Tuesday night in a match where maximum points for the Cranes will further enlighten the chances of a return to AFCON, following the 2017 success script to the finals hosted in Gabon. when Uganda appeared the continental show piece for the first time since 1978.

FUFA Executive Committee member Richard Ochom is the Head of Delegation for the Ugandan contingent in Lesotho.