TOTAL AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS EGYPT 2019
Live reporting by Joseph Kizza
@joekizza
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7:50pm
GOODBYE!
And for me, that's all for today. Will be back next week when Uganda take on Zimbabwe.
Thank you for following along.
Congratulations to Uganda Cranes for that emphatic 2-0 victory over DR Congo in their opening game of #AFCON2019. We are confident you will post more positive results as the tournament progresses and the country wishes you success. Well done!
— Yoweri K Museveni (@KagutaMuseveni) June 22, 2019
— Janet K Museveni (@JanetMuseveni) June 22, 2019
Hearty congratulations @UgandaCranes ! You have brought joy to our hearts. Please keep it up to the end. pic.twitter.com/ttl150mPMi
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7:45pm
Next up, Burundi take on Nigeria
Nigeria v Burundi
As the Ugandan camp head back to their hotel for a good night's rest, another East African side is preparing to go out for battle.
Burundi will be facing Nigeria in the opening Group B match in Alexandria.
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7:35pm
FULL TIME: Uganda beat DR Congo to top Group A
DR Congo 0 Uganda 2
A deserved victory - and three points - for The Cranes. They went out there and gave it their all. Maximum credit to the team, the entire coaching staff and the fans as well. The East African giants have now leapfrogged hosts Egypt and settled at the dizzying summit of Group A.
Identical goals by Patrick Kaddu and Emmanuel Okwi from set pieces will offer Zimbabwe (Uganda's next opponents) plenty to think about.
Kaddu headed past Ley Matampi from a first-half corner delivered by Farouk Miya, before Okwi did the same from a freekick delivered by the same man: Miya.
Celebrations back in Kampala!
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90min
FULL TIME: Uganda beat DR Congo to top Group A
DR Congo 0 Uganda 2
A. MASSIVE. VICTORY. FOR. UGANDA!!!!!
Cranes off to a flying start (pun intended)!
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90min
THREE MINUTES OF ADDED TIME
DR Congo 0 Uganda 2
The Uganda Cranes are inching closer . . . and closer. DR Congo shell-shocked, to say the least!
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86min
FOUR MINUTES TO GO!
DR Congo 0 Uganda 2
Sebatien Desabre's men are hanging on for a HUGE VICTORY. As it stands Uganda will climb to the top of Group A.
Oh, and by the way, this will be Uganda's first win at the Nations Cup finals since 1978! (Remember that when they re-appeared at this stage in 2017, they exited at the group stage with only a draw (1-1) against Mali).
Massive day it will be for Desabre and co - if they can just hang on a little more.
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82min
OUCH! - Onyango (Uganda)
DR Congo 0 Uganda 2
Goalkeeper Onyango has had his busiest time in this second half. A well delivered cross into the box draws him into an outstretched leap into the air to collect the ball. But he clashes mid-air with two DR Congo players, and lands awkwardly. That looks painful.
Eight minutes to go. Can The Cranes hang on?
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79min
WATER BREAK
DR Congo 0 Uganda 2
It is a quick one, this break. Earlier, Abdu Lumala, who plays for Syrianska FC, appears to have pulled a muscle during a clash with the dreadlocked Jonathan Bolingi.
He is stretchered off and on comes FK Viktoria Žižkov man Isaac Muleme.
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75min
CLOSE! - Uganda (Okwi)
DR Congo 0 Uganda 2
Oh blimey! How did Emmanuel Okwi miss that!?!
The Simba FC forward twists onto one leg (his right) and then turns to his left, before letting rip. It is a rasping effort from a good range but a tad overcooked.
Should have been three!
He loves a good goal, this young man...try harder, mate!
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72min
CLOSE! - DR Congo (Assombolanga)
DR Congo 0 Uganda 2
The Leopards are searching long and hard for a breakthrough. Time is fast running out for them. But they nearly get their opener: Britt Assombolanga is on the receiving end of a floated through-ball, he gets to it, but he is a fraction offside.
Nonetheless, his effort was still going wide, albeit with Onyango beaten.
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65min
Onyango untested
DR Congo 0 Uganda 2
Cranes goalkeeper Denis Onyango, to be fair, has yet to be genuinely tested.
Once, he gets into a tangle with Leopards forward Elia Meschak inside the box. The Cranes skipper slides out to collect. He does, but Meschak appears to have caught him in the midsection.
Ouch. That nasty sensation will linger for a little while.
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56min
Cranes soaring higher
DR Congo 0 Uganda 2
The volume has gone a notch higher inside Cairo International Stadium. Half of the pitch is still baked in glorious evening sunshine.
Cranes fans are bouncy, enjoying every minute of this action.
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51min
SUBSTITUTION - DR Congo
DR Congo 0 Uganda 2
IMMEDIATE RESPONSE. Florent Ibenge makes early reforms. Paul Jose Mpoku is on and off goes Jonathan Bolingi.
You can sense that nerves are growing in the DR Congo camp - understandably so.
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47min
GOAL! - Uganda - Emmanuel Okwi
DR Congo 0 Uganda 2
BANG! BANG! Recent history repeats itself! Farouk Miya sweeps in a cross from a freekick and the man who had just been fouled rises highest to let the ball shave off his head and into the back of the net.
Very similar to Kaddu's first half header.
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46min
OUCH - Emmanuel Okwi
DR Congo 0 Uganda 1
The Simba FC man goes down under a heavy head challenge by Issama Djos. The Ugandan writhes in agony.
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6:35pm
KICKOFF - Second half underway
DR Congo 0 Uganda 1
"Keep doing what you have been doing."
"Pile more pressure on them."
My sneaky suspicion tells me that's what Sebastien Desabre has told his boys back in the changing room. We are back for the second stanza, with Uganda leading.
What do you have for us, football?
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6:29pm
HALF TIME - Was that decision harsh?
DR Congo 0 Uganda 1
Back to that moment when Farouk Miya went down under an apparent challenge by Leopards keeper Ley Matampi.
On another day, that could well have been a penalty. Not today though.
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6:22pm
HALF TIME - Uganda leading
DR Congo 0 Uganda 1
A satisfactory first half performance by The Cranes. Well deserved. The goal statistic could have been greater.
A wonderful dollop of footballing action. More please!
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45 min
YELLOW CARD - Yannick Bolasie
DR Congo 0 Uganda 1
The DR Congo man is booked after appearing to go down from a Murushid Juuko apparent challenge near the edge of the Ugandan box.
That card is for simulation, I guess.
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41 min
CLOSE! - Penalty?
DR Congo 0 Uganda 1
Uganda Cranes are rampant so far. Again, the industrious Farouk Miya is played through, he tries to round Ley Matampi, but the DR Congo goalkeeper appears to have clawed at him.
The ball rolls out, Miya goes tumbling down inside the box but he quickly finds his footing. But was that a penalty? Maybe, maybe not.
The referee goes for the latter decision. Harsh, the Ugandan camp might feel.
A talking point of the game, this one, I suspect!
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38 min
Miya the trickster
DR Congo 0 Uganda 1
Oh boy, oh boy! Farouk Miya is enjoying himself today. The Ugandan forward goes for trickery - and it is cute on the eye. He leaves a DR Congo minder for dead, and just as he is about to leave dust in the face of Issama Djos, the Congo defender brings him down.
Freekick to Uganda. These boys are having fun today!
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35 min
YELLOW CARD - Juuko
DR Congo 0 Uganda 1
The Ugandan will think about going easy on those tackles. He is the first player in this duel to be booked.
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30 min
WATER BREAK
DR Congo 0 Uganda 1
It is sweltering inside the Cairo International Stadium and the players - and officials - are allowed to pause for a brief water break.
Time to replenish those tanks. So far so good for Uganda - and head coach Sebastien expresses his approval.
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26 min
OUCH! - Juuko goes down
DR Congo 0 Uganda 1
Play is brought to a pause as Uganda's Murushid Juuko remains down after an aerial challenge with Cedric Bakambu.
Replays show that it was a clash of the shoulders. While Bakambu collects himself up, his minder remains down and will need extended medical attention off the pitch.
The Simba FC man is stretchered off.
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19 min
Uganda should be three goals up
DR Congo 0 Uganda 1
That goal by Patrick Kaddu seems to have opened a can of worms for DR Congo. They are unsettled at the back. Again, the Leopards switch off and allow Farouk Miya to run in on a floated pass. It is a good one, but the HNK Gorica forward heads inches wide.
Another chance falls for Uganda, but keeper Ley Matampi sticks out his toe to clear the goal-bound effort.
Close!
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15 min
GOAL! - Uganda (Patrick Kaddu)
DR Congo 0 Uganda 1
Beautiful header of pure quality by Patrick Kaddu from a well-taken corner!
The Cranes draw first blood.
Farouk Miya sweeps in a cross from the left flank corner. KCCA FC forward Kaddu rises to meet the delivery, which brushes off his head and into the back of the net. A helpless DR Congo defender is in the back of the net too. That is this tournament's second goal.
Wow! Just WOW!
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11 min
CHANCE! - DR Congo (Bakambu)
DR Congo 0 Uganda 0
DR Congo have proved to be the more dominant side so far. The Cranes players are showing some jitters and are toeing dangerously at the moment.
Once, they allow Cedric Bakambu to receive a threaded pass. Murushid Juuko is beaten on the turn but Bakambu's effort is too weak to trouble Denis Onyango. Easy pickings for the revered goalie.
Bakambu, you are going to have to do better than that, sir!
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07 min
Settling early nerves
DR Congo 0 Uganda 0
The ball is settling down now after a frantic opening five minutes. Both coaches - Florent Ibenge and Sebastien Desabre - and are up and on the sidelines.
The latter appears to be the more animated one, caught by the cameras waving his hands this way and that way. He is sending early instructions to his boys on the pitch.
04 min
CLOSE! - DR Congo
DR Congo 0 Uganda 0
It has been two-way traffic in these early exchanges. First, Uganda get a freekick deep on the left flank but Farouk Miya's delivery is low and comes to nothing.
On the other end, DR Congo get a corner, play it short and the resulting delivery evades the heads of their attackers. Close!
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5:31pm
KICK OFF!
DR Congo 0 Uganda 0
Vuvuzelas? Check.
Shades? Check.
Voices tuned? Check.
And we are under way in Cairo!
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5:25pm
STARTING LINEUP: DR Congo
DR Congo v Uganda (5:30pm)
Chancel Mbemba is the man with the armband today. Here is how the Leopards are starting:
Ley Matampi, Issama Djos, Marcel Tisserand, Arthur Masuaku, Christian Luyindama, Paul Jose Mpoku, Merveille Pope, Chancel Mbemba, Yannick Bolasie, Elia Meschak, Cedric Bakambu
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5:20pm
STARTING LINEUP: Uganda
DR Congo v Uganda (5:30pm)
Uganda Cranes will be captained by Mamelodi Sundowns goalstopper Denis Onyango.
Here is how they are lining up:
Denis Onyango, Bevis Mugabi, Godfrey Walusimbi, Hassan Wasswa, Murushid Jjuuko, Khalid Aucho, Mike Azira, Abdu Lumala, Farouk Miya, Patrick Kaddu, Emmanuel Okwi
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5:12pm
Meet Tut, the mascot
DR Congo v Uganda (5:30pm)
Here is Tut, the 2019 mascot for the African Cup of Nations. He is wearing the unmistakeable nemes, an ancient egyptian royal wig alluding to royalty.
Remember what the pharaohs used to wear?
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5:02pm
Delicious footballing affair?
DR Congo v Uganda (5:30pm)
This evening's duel will be closely watched by fellow group members Egypt and Zimbabwe.
It has been four decades since Uganda were last in the knockout stages, having finished as runners-up in 1978, behind winners Ghana. This is a second successive appearance and a seventh overall in Ugandan history.
In under 30 minutes from now, they will face a DR Congo side who are two-time champions (1986 and 1974) of the competition and this is their 19th appearance.
Can Florent Ibenge's boys do better than their quarter-finals finish in 2017? Or will they be outsmarted by Sebastien Desabre's charges?
We could be up for a tasty affair.
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4:53pm
Whole nation 'fully behind you'
DR Congo v Uganda (5:30pm)
President Yoweri Museveni has also wished The Cranes all the best in Egypt.
Best of luck to the Uganda Cranes as the #AFCON2019 gets underway in Egypt. The country is fully behind you. pic.twitter.com/20js2sNx3R
— Yoweri K Museveni (@KagutaMuseveni) June 20, 2019
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4:49pm
Tooro king in Cairo to rally behind Cranes
DR Congo v Uganda (5:30pm)
When The Cranes players walk out of the dugout and onto the Cairo International Stadium turf, they will have been delighted to know that somewhere in the stands, royalty will be willing them on.
Omukama of Tooro Oyo Nyimba Iguru is in Cairo to support the @UgandaCranes. He was recieved at the Cairo International International Airport by the Uganda head of delegation, Hon @nakiwalafk. #TotalAFCON2019 #LetsGoCranes pic.twitter.com/sAcPTV10w5
— FUFA (@OfficialFUFA) June 22, 2019
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4:42pm
Plenty of changes
DR Congo v Uganda (5:30pm)
This edition of the Nations Cup has heralded a change in the dimension of Africa's biggest football competition.
It has been expanded to 24 teams up from 16. It is also the first time we are having the tournament played in mid-year as opposed to the traditional beginning of the year.
Also, VAR - Video Assisted Refereeing - will be used starting from the knockout stage.
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4:20pm
Leopards in training
DR Congo v Uganda (5:30pm)
A huge test today for Florent Ibenge's boys. Maximum points are very, very important.
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4:09pm
Cranes in training
DR Congo v Uganda (5:30pm)
Opening games of competitions are always crucial. They can either make or break the mojo of a team.
The Uganda Cranes are in high spirits ahead of their game against DR Congo. Victory today will do well to lift the mood in the Ugandan camp even higher. But they know they will be up against a side that has lethal weapons in the form of players like Yannick Bolasie. Smother such a threat and you could well be on course for valuable points.
This is a competition where small margins make the difference. There is hardly any room for error. Coach Sebastien Desabre and co are very much aware of this fact.
Under one-and-a-half hours to kickoff.
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4:00pm
The first player to score in this edition
DR Congo v Uganda (5:30pm)
That's Mahmoud Ahmed Ibrahim Hassan, but most football fans know him as Trézéguet.
The Egyptian forward scored this tournament's first goal when the hosts, ever menancing but lacking precision in front of goal, beat a solid Zimbabwe 1-0 in the opening match on Friday. The result may not have been a proper reflection of the dominance of the Pharoahs on the pitch, but one thing for sure is that the Warriors' goalkeeper Edmore Sibanda played a huge role in limiting the scoreline to a bare minumum.
By the time the Zimbabwean goalstopper was subbed due to an injury 10 minutes before time, he had done almost enough to keep his side in contention with a series of brilliant saves.
(Read full match report here)
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3:45pm
Cairo opening ceremony 'attracted world's eyes'
DR Congo v Uganda (5:30pm)
In case you missed it, you may need to know that this 32nd edition of the continent's biggest football competition was officially opened on Friday at the Cairo International Stadium in Egypt's capital Cairo. An event soaked in pure glitz!
African football governing body CAF described it as "a short but simple, symbolic and breathtaking ceremony that attracted world’s eyes and deserved praise from football stakeholders all over the globe".
I totally agree.
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3:37pm
Analysis: Miya is shining light of Cranes
DR Congo v Uganda (5:30pm)
New Vision sports editor Fred Kaweesi:
Cranes must deal with the Leopards, who on the evidence of the quality within their ranks and experience gathered over the years, will prove a very difficult proposition.
The positive though is Cranes march into this game on the back of a decent buildup — their 1-0 win over Ivory Coast in Abu Dhabi — somewhat concealing any worries about the fitness concerns of key members within the team. Cranes kept a clean sheet and head coach Sebastien Desabre must have been thrilled with the overall contributions of Denis Onyango in goal, and the back-four.
Bevis Mugabi, one of three foreign-based players whose inclusion in the team was contentious, had a full run out alongside Murushid Juuko and the unattached pair of Hassan Wasswa and Godfrey Walusimbi. Whether the four will be the ideal candidates to start against DR Congo is an issue only Cranes coaching staff will know best.
Whoever Desabre chooses to start will have to be well-drilled to deal with a Leopards attack of Yannick Bolasie and Cedric Bakambu that thrives on mid-fielders Issama Mpeko, Tresor Mputu and Elia Lina Meschack.
Cranes and DR Congo share similarities. Both thrive on short passes while in possession, and occasionally choose to break down the opposition through counter-attacks. If Khalid Aucho and Mike Azira can dominate Congo in midfield, then Farouk Miya will prove critical and probably decisive on how Cranes’ front two will perform.
Regardless of who starts in attack, Miya remains the shining light of this team. His presence and overall contributions to Cranes’ current set up are undisputed. If Miya shows up, then Abdu Lumala and Desabre’s preferred choice Patrick Kaddu will find spaces for that vital opening.
Just like Miya, Lumala commands good attributes. Playing will guarantee precision, aggression and pace. Good Luck Boys!
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3:23pm
Land of the pyramids is very wam
DR Congo v Uganda (5:30pm)
It is summer and the weather knob has been turned a couple of times on the high end. It is safe to say that Cairo is very warm today.
If you happen to be in Cairo, perhaps while reading this text commentary off your mobile phone, you might want to keep it outdoorsy - but under the shade. Don't bake yourself!
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3:15pm
Cranes v Leopards
DR Congo v Uganda (5:30pm)
Cairo International Stadium, where Friday's opening match between hosts Egypt and Zimbabwe was played, will yet again host another Group A battle today.
It's the Cranes up against the Leopards.
Egypt are at the summit of the group after beating Zimbabwe 1-0 in the opener Friday night. Can the default zeros on the table for today's two regional football giants turn into positive integers?
We are a little over two hours away from kickoff.
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3:00pm
Welcome everyone!
DR Congo v Uganda (5:30pm)
Hello and good afternoon wherever you are reading this from. Welcome to Egypt, the hosts of this edition of Africa's flagship football competition, the Total Africa Cup of Nations!
As you may already know (of course, what am I saying!), Uganda is among the 24 nations represented in the north-African nation, and today, local (Ugandan point of view) attention will be turned to Cairo International Stadium, where a sporting battle of immediate neighbours beckons.
