2022 AFRICAN NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFICATION

Central Eastern Zone ⚽️

Second leg: Uganda 🇺🇬 v Tanzania 🇹🇿 (Sept 3)
First leg: Tanzania 🇹🇿 0-1 Uganda 🇺🇬 (Aug 28)
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Uganda Cranes head coach Milutin Sredojevic (Micho) hopes that his team will "stamp the document they have worked hard to write" to validate their quest for 2022 African Nations Championships (CHAN) progression when they host neighbours Tanzania in a second-leg qualifier on Saturday (September 3).

The Uganda Cranes carry a 1-0 advantage into the decisive tie at St. Mary's Stadium, Kitende and Micho believes the upcoming duel provides the ideal platform for his "boys to turn into men".

His selected squad features mostly junior players and to the 53-year-old Serbian tactician, theirs will be a "test of character and measurement of value" when they face off against the Taifa Stars on home turf.

They will come into Saturday's game buoyed by their first-leg victory last Sunday on the road.

Substitute Travis Mutyaba scored the winner in the 88th minute after his individual brilliance saw him twist and turn past his minders to beat outstretched goalkeeper Aishi Manula and break home hearts in Dar es Salaam.

Micho's team can now seal the deal with at least a draw.

CHAN is a tournament for only players active in national league competitions.

The 2022 edition, whose date had to be changed due to the coronavirus pandemic, will be played in Algeria from January 8 to January 31 in 2023.

Mutyaba scored the winner in the first leg in Tanzania

'Not valid if not stamped'

Saturday is the chance for Uganda Cranes to stamp Micho's metaphorical document, and the man who is on a second stint at the helm of Uganda's national football side believes his side have what it takes: fitness.

He is also banking on the 12th player (home support) as well as divine intervention.

A day after turning 53, Micho told a pre-match press conference at the FUFA headquarters in Mengo, Kampala on Friday that they are "fully aware that the document is not valid if it is not stamped".

And he was keen to warn against complanceny against "a very experienced team of opponents", who have traveled to Uganda with newly appointed interim coach Zambian Honour Janza, who replaced Danish Kim Poulsen following Taifa Stars' first-leg defeat.

'Top-class opponent'

Micho, who like Janza has previously coached managed the Zambian national team, said "we are aware about his [Janza's] tactical acumen and his ability" and that they believed the 62-year-old has already applied his coaching stamp on his new team.

He warned his team against "underrating the situation", saying they don't carry a significant amount of advantage against "a top-class opponent" that is Tanzania.

"The only advantage in tomorrow's match we are carrying is the advantage of opponent [having] nothing to risk."

On his part, Cranes captain Milton Karisa, with a distinctive hairstyle, said that much as they respect Tanzania as a good team, "I am confident of victory tomorrow [Saturday]".

Generally, Micho and his camp are keen on raising "the index of happiness in the country by making you happy" with qualification.

The home team will conduct a final training session today ay 2pm, followed by a pre-match meeting at 3pm. Visitors Tanzania will train at 4pm at St. Mary's Stadium.

Who will make it through?

For CHAN, participating teams are split into the six zones for the qualification phase, with Uganda in the Central Eastern Zone.

The others are Nothern, Western A, Western B, Central and Southern. Three teams from each zone qualify for the finals, which will be in Algeria this time around.

Automatically through as the hosts, Algeria are joined by Morocco and Libya in the finals from the Northern Zone.

Uganda will be hoping to be among the 18 finalists.

In the other two Central Eastern Zone second-leg duels, Sudan will be looking to seal their qualification when they host Djibouti today, having emerged 4-1 winners in the first leg.

On Saturday, it will be all to play for between Rwanda and Ethiopia after the two sides recorded a goalless first-leg result last Friday.