AFCON qualifier: Uganda 2 Mauritania 0

Jul 19, 2014

Geoffrey Massa scores the winner as Uganda beat visiting Mauritania in the first leg of a 2015 AFCON qualifier at Namboole.

Geoffrey Massa scored the winner as Uganda beat visiting Mauritania 2-0 in the first leg of a 2015 AFCON qualifier at Namboole.

The road to Morocco looked bright for Uganda Cranes as theytook the lead moments into the second half through a substitute Brian Majwega's finish.

Massa then extended the hosts' lead with 20 minutes still to play.

The visitors were resilient throughout and their pressing came close to paying off on a number of occassions. But with the home crowd full in voice, it was never going to be easy for Mauritania to break through.

Cranes have remained unbeaten at home since 2004 and Saturday's game was only a reminder of just that.

The mood in the stadium was high after the home U-17 boys thrashed Rwanda 4-0 in an earlier CAF U-17 qualifier game, and the spirits only turned electric coming into the AFCON qualifier.

With the game goalless at half-time, a reflection of its lacklustre start, things changed for better in the second half as Majwega came off the bench to thrust the Cranes into an early lead.

There was a sense of wastefulness from either side there after, but 10 minutes after the hour mark, Massa pounced to clear any fears from the home fans of a possible comeback from the visitors.

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