Uganda Cranes plot for sh724m

PHOTO: Cranes captain Muwanga (right) vies for the ball with a Namibian player

Africa Nations Championship (CHAN)
Today, 10pm, Live on SS9
Uganda v Ivory Coast
Zambia v Namibia *(both qualified)

Previous results
Uganda 0 Namibia 1
Uganda 1 Zambia 3

Cash prizes at stake
Winner $1,250,000 (sh4.5b)
Runner-up $700,000 (sh2.5b)
Semi-finalists $400,000 (sh1.4b)
Quarterfinalists $300,000 (Sh1.1b)
3rd in Group $200,000 (sh724m)
4th in Group $175,000 (sh630m)

Uganda Cranes will return from the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) with some sort of crisis — one that will be entirely football related and not financial.

A review of the team's results at the championship so far suggests that FUFA must design a strategy that will help revamp Ugandan football from its doldrums.

But before that process starts, the Cranes on their part can try and save face by at least signing out of Morocco with a victory against a poor Ivory Coast team.

A win against the Elephants will not only fix a horrible run of results over the last six weeks (including the damning performance at the CECAFA Challenge Cup).

The three points will guarantee Uganda third place in Group B and an opportunity of banking sh724m — the cash prize at stake for all teams that finish third in their groups at the championship devised for local-based players.

If Uganda falters against Ivory Coast and finish fourth, then Cranes will walk away with sh630m — a prize that Cranes are now accustomed to, but one that will certainly not excite their faithful, who to a large extent expected better from newly appointed coach Sebastien Desabre.

True, some will argue that Desabre is still settling into his new job. But his initiation seems to be taking longer than expected seeing that he had two friendly games to assess his side before the championship.

When you sign up for a sh72m-a-month contract, you are expected to deliver. The two friendlies against Guinea (1-1) and Congo (1-0) should have offered the French tactician a glimpse of the players available and fault-lines marching into the championship in Morocco.

But the two losses — first against Zambia (3-1) and the second (1-0) against hapless Namibia (ranked 111th in the World — 38 places below Uganda (73) last Thursday — proved that Cranes are not making progress.

The team's defensive frailties and limitations in attack need to be addressed before the 2019 Africa Nations Cup qualifiers resume against Tanzania on March 24.

Probable line-up: Ismail Watenga, Nicholas Wadada, Isaac Muleme, Mustapha Mujjuzi, Bernard Muwanga, Tadeo Lwanga, Milton Karisa, Sadam Juma, Allan Kyambadde, Muzamiru Mutyaba, Derrick Nsibambi.