2018 CHAN: Let us attack Namibia

Uganda Cranes (white) lost to Zambia 3-1 on Saturday. PHOTO: CAF

Africa Nations Championship
Today, 10.30pm, Live on SS9
Uganda v Namibia
January 22
Uganda v Ivory Coast
First result
Uganda 1 Zambia 3

When the stakes are at their peak, you need to have all your best guns available for the task at hand.

The return of first choice goalkeeper Ismail Watenga from suspension for the decisive Africa Nations Championship fixture against Namibia today should strengthen and inspire Cranes to that fundamental result that will revive Uganda's interests in the
championship.

Only victory will do for a Cranes side that will want to avoid the mathematics that will come with a draw marching into their last game against Ivory Coast.

A loss will definitely end Uganda's interests in the championship.

Watenga's all-round abilities are unbelievable and should inject a high level of confi dence within the team —the kind of confidence that his superior Denis Onyango generates within the senior Cranes team.

Watenga will not only avert concerns in the team's goalkeeping department where his under study Benjamin Ochan rewarded Zambia with a hilarious third goal.

At 6ft plus, Watenga is the tallest player in the Cranes ranks, and the best possible solution to dealing with Namibia's aerial threat from set-pieces.

Besides his brilliant shot-stopping abilities and penalty-saving skill, he will be expected to inject a calm infl uence in what was a shaky defense against Zambia and allow the team to play constructively from the back.

The Brave Warriors thrive on playing with speed and power up the middle and Cranes' fortunes in Morocco might well depend on how central defenders Bernard Muwanga and Timothy Awany deal with Namibia's lead strikers Junias and Hendrick Somaeb.

According to Namibia's setup against Ivory Coast, Loydt Kazapua will start in goal behind Ferdinand Karongee and Charles Hambira in central defence with Riaan Hanamub and Edmund Kambanda at the left and right back positions respectively.

Captain Ronald Ketjijere and Dynamo Fredericks will start in central midfield with Petrus Shitembi on the left and Iimbondi on the right. Junias, other than their league top scorer with nine goals in 12 games Panduleni Nekundi, might retain his place alongside Hendrick Somaeb in attack.

But all said, Cranes equally have quality upfront. The question is whether coach Sebastien Desabre can find a system that will allow Derrick Nsibambi and Milton Karisa prove more effective.

The Frenchman might be tempted to play Karisa closer to Nsibambi considering that the Vipers star posed more of a threat and yet he had to cover more ground from the wide areas to find Nsibambi.

The alternative is to allow Sadam Juma and Muzamir Mutyaba the freedom to step forward with the odd goal.

Probable line-up: I.Watenga, N.Wadada, I. Muleme, T.Denis Awany, B. Muwanga, T.Lwanga, M. Karisa, S.Juma, A. Kyambadde, M.Mutyaba and D.Nsibambi.