Cranes need two strikers
Oct 07, 2014
Since the start of the 2015 Nations Cup qualifiers, Cranes have been so reliant on Geoffrey Massa.Apart from his goals in the preliminary stages against Mauritania and Madagascar, the South Africa-based striker’s brace against Guinea is the reason Uganda tops Group E with four points.
By Fred Kaweesi
Saturday, 4pm Nations Cup qualifier Uganda v Togo
Since the start of the 2015 Nations Cup qualifiers, Cranes have been so reliant on Geoffrey Massa.
Apart from his goals in the preliminary stages against Mauritania and Madagascar, the South Africa-based striker’s brace against Guinea is the reason Uganda tops Group E with four points.
That point tally could have probably been even better had the 28-yearold been considered for the crucial game against Ghana in Kumasi.
For dubious reasons, Massa was dropped for the fixture that Cranes could have probably won but didn’t and now find themselves in a nervy situation of having to win all their home games against giants Togo and Ghana to guarantee progress to the finals in Morocco.
The Sparrow Hawks, expected to set foot in the country on Thursday, are aware that their fixture against the Cranes is a life-and-death affair.
The West Africans are aware that a third consecutive defeat to Uganda will literally end their qualification hopes.
“We will have to work as a team. We will need to defend better and create chances. We didn’t create chances against Guinea. We must improve in that area because Togo won’t be easy at all,” Massa told New Vision on Sunday.
True, if Cranes are to negotiate their way past an Emmanuel Adebayor-led Togo side, they will need to create chances.
But they will also need to field an extra striker to unsettle the experienced back-four of Tawali Magnima, Serge Akakpo, Donou Kokou, Sadate Ouro-Akoriko and expand the team’s scoring prospects.
Against Guinea, Massa was played as a lone striker. But although he scored, he spent more time of the evening outmuscling Guinea’s gangly defenders.
His two goals were on timely occasions and concealed a weakness that gradually allowed Guinea to dictate play in the final 30 minutes of the game.
For Saturday’s assignment, Cranes will have three in-form strikers (Massa, Yunus Ssentamu, and Daniel Sserunkuuma) and an on-and-off experienced forward in Emmanuel Okwi to look to.
Considering that Massa starts, and the Cranes technical team deem it necessary to play two in attack, the ‘million dollar question’ is who, on the basis of form and style of play will support him?
Massa and Okwi
This is a goals combination and it has worked before. The only problem is that Okwi is struggling for fitness.
Okwi’s pace and eye for goal can be an asset for any team. He also runs through the channels brilliantly, a positive that can alongside Massa, open up any defence.
He has four days to prove his fitness.
Massa and Ssentamu
Ssentamu has done enough in recent weeks to justify consideration. His performances in the CAF Champions League have been terrific.
Just like in the group stages, when Sentamu struck that vital goal that sent Egyptian side Zamalek out of the competition, the former Vipers forward left a mark in the semi-finals.
With the tie levelled at 1-1, Sentamu struck the winner 10 minutes into the second half against Tunisian side CS Sfaxien.
He has not played alongside Massa before but it’s a combination that can be worked on in training.
Massa and Sserunkuuma
At the moment, all talk in the Kenya Premier League (PKL) is about Dan Sserunkuuma.
He struck a hat-trick in a 4-1 win over City Stars last Saturday. Sserunkuuma’s first touch is brilliant. Despite his 5ft1inch size, he commands presence against gangly defense.
The Gor Mahia striker is an instinct finisher and would feed off Massa’s robust presence around and inside the box.
Whether Cranes start with a lone striker or two is an onus that falls entirely on Cranes’ technical committee.
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