Mayanja backs Cranes to beat Angola

By James Bakama

Uganda Cranes v Angola past results

2012- Angola 1 Uganda 1 

2011- Uganda 3 Angola 0

2011- Angola 2 Uganda 0

2008 - Angola 0 Uganda 0

2008 -Uganda 3 Angola 1

Jackson Mayanja is one of those people who can au¬thoritatively weigh Uganda’s chances against Angola in this weekend’s World Cup qualifier.

Mayanja, one of Uganda’s top players in the nineties, was Cranes assistant coach in three of the five times Uganda has played Angola in the past five years.

“It’s a win for Uganda,” he predicted explaining that the hosts not only have a physical edge over the Palancas Negras, but a psychological advantage.

With two clear home wins and three draws in Luanda, Mayanja believes Uganda is well positioned to pull off another home win.

“The team only has to be fit to get a good result. The good news is that the bulk of the Cranes side that registered these results is still intact,” he said. 

Mayanja also gives Angola’s approach of a fast passing game as not being a problem for Uganda. 

“It’s teams with a hard physical game that have lately proved a problem,” Mayanja added. 

He also believes that the fact that Angola is rebuilding a new team could also play Uganda’s favour. Most of the team’s old guard was phased out. Lethal striker Manucho is one of the big names still on the team.

The Cranes can’t be in better form ahead of Saturday’s encounter. 

They pulled off a morale boosting win over Liberia that propped them from the bot¬tom of their group to second place.

Senegal top the group with six points, one more than Uganda. 

Should the Cranes win their two remaining matches, they will qualify for the final play-off round where Africa’s five representatives to the Brazil 2014 World Cup tournament will be determined.

Angola, DR. Congo and South Africa are the only African countries south of the equator to have played at the final tournament of the World Cup. Angola played at the 2006 World Cup.

When picking the 2006 squad, coach Gonçalves sought advice from Chelsea manager José Mourinho, whose wife was born in Angola. 

Angola’s golden generation saw players like Akwá, João Ricardo, Paulo Figueiredo and Jamba selected for tournament in Germany.

They lost 1-0 to their former colonial masters Portugal and drew 0-0 with Mexico and 1-1 with Iran.