AFCON 2019: Uganda 1 Zimbabwe 1
Jun 26, 2019
It ends all square as Okwi's goal is cancelled out by Billiat's strike.
AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS EGYPT 2019
Live reporting by Joseph Kizza
@joekizza
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10:30pm
GOOD NIGHT!
It's time for me to leave this here. But first . . .
Looking back at tonight's game, you could quite comfortably say that that was one crazy, thrilling match. Emmanuel Okwi made it two goals in two games so far with his first half tap-in from close range. Then after huffing and puffing, Zimbabwe's star man Khama Billiat made his ubiquitous presence count with a well-worked goal, beating his former clubmate at South African side Mamelodi Sundowns, Denis Onyango.
In truth, while profligacy was their eventual undoing, Zimbabwe were the better side from the moment they went a goal down until the break. But The Cranes returned for the second interval more composed and industrious, doing more attacking than the defending they were reduced to for most of the opening half.
Patrick Kaddu had the perfect chance to restore Uganda's lead, but the KCCA forward squandered one of the best chances of the entire game when he went for the spectacular instead of an easy low strike in front of an open goal. But he wasn't the only squanderer. On the other end, Billiat and captain Knowledge Musona wasted close-range opportunities too.
In short, with precision in front of either goal, this game could have gone either way.
Who deserved to win, you ask? I will leave that to you.
SO for now, have a good night, and thanks again for following. Cheers!
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10:20pm
FULL TIME: Uganda 1 Zimbabwe 1 - Cranes top
As it stands, Uganda are still leading Group A on four points.
But that could change in the due course of time. And by that, we are talking of as early as 1:00am Thursday, when we shall have known the outcome of the Egypt v DR Congo tie that kicks of at 11:00pm.
It's a draw for Uganda 🇺🇬 1-1 Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 at the #TotalAFCON2019 in Egypt. Uganda now tops Group A with 4points.
— NCS Uganda (@NCSUganda1) June 26, 2019
Uganda's goal was scored by Emma Okwi.
Well done the Cranes 💪🏾@SBL_UG @Educ_SportsUg @OfficialFUFA pic.twitter.com/aEmsnOLxjY
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10:03pm
FULL TIME: Uganda 1 Zimbabwe 1 - The stats
If you are just waking up from that long late afternoon siesta, then allow me to tell that you have missed an entertaining match inside Cairo International Stadium.
The statistics won't paint the best picture for you about how the battle unfolded, but let me share some of them with you anyway.
Overall, Zimbabwe bossed possession, having the ball 55% of the time against Uganda's 45%. But the Leopards committed more fouls (22) than Uganda (18).
In front of goal, Sunday Marimo Chidzambwa's men were the busier side, registering 11 shots, with four on target. The Cranes had seven shots, with two on target.
In a physical game, it should be surprising that there was only one yellow card dished out, going to Ugandan midfielder Khalid Aucho late on.
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9:50pm
FULL TIME - Uganda 1 Zimbabwe 1
And there goes the final whistle!
The Cranes will be the happier side. Four points in the bag and unbeaten so far. Not shabby at all for Sebastien Desabre's boys.
That was a thriller!
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90 (+2)min
CLOSE! - Zimbabwe (Knowledge Musona)
Uganda 1 Zimbabwe 1
The Warriors are looking dangerous. Deft touches amongst them end with a through pass to captain Knowlegde Musona. But with plenty of options available for the skipper, he elects to go for it from several yards out.
It is a screamer, but way off the target.
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90min
FOUR MINUTES OF ADDED TIME
Uganda 1 Zimbabwe 1
Both sides will have four minutes to salvage A VITAL three points.
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88min
SUBSTITUTION - Uganda (Awany on, Miya off)
Uganda 1 Zimbabwe 1
KCCA man Timothy Awany comes on for the remaining two minutes to replace Farouk Miya.
Uganda have stepped up their game in this second half of as many missed scoring opportunities as the first.
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82min
WHAT A GAME!
Uganda 1 Zimbabwe 1
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75min
CLOSE! - Uganda (Patrick Kaddu)
Uganda 1 Zimbabwe 1
What was that Patrick Kaddu???
Shocking from the KCCA man, who scored the opening goal against DR Congo, but misses from SUPER close range here after Warriors keeper George Chigova fails to deal with an inswinger deep into the box.
Sebastien Desabre buries his head in his hands. He can't believe how that did not go in. I, too, can't.
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71min
WHAT A SAVE! - Denis Onyango
Uganda 1 Zimbabwe 1
And here's why Denis Onyango is considered one of the best goalkeepers on the continent -- if not the best.
Zimbabwe unleash a counter-attack, with Khama Billiat doing the paces on the right into the box. The diminutive forward wires a pass to an advancing Ovidy Karuru, who nutmegs Onyango. He wheels away to celebrate, but the ball has not crossed the line. The ball's spin keeps it on the line and the Ugandan goalkeeper works his reflexes to scoop it out of danger.
What a brilliant save!
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64min
Aerial head collision
Uganda 1 Zimbabwe 1
Another ugly scene.
Uganda's Emmanuel Okwi and Zimbabwe's Danny Phiri rise to get to an aerial ball. Their flight gets them into an ugly mid-air head collision.
Both players need on-pitch medical attention as Zimbabwe also make their reforms. Evans Rusike replaces Talent Chawapiwa.
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61min
OUCH! - Uganda (Khalid Aucho)
Uganda 1 Zimbabwe 1
Worrying scene for Uganda as Khalid Aucho goes crashing down under a challenge by Talent Chawapiwa. That hurt, but the Ugandan will be back on his feet.
Meanwhile, a Cranes substitution sees a weary Michael Azira make way for Taddeo Lwanga's fresh pair of legs.
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56min
Fierce encounter
Uganda 1 Zimbabwe 1
A real battle playing out inside Cairo International Stadium.
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50min
CLOSE! - Zimbabwe (Knowledge Musona)
Uganda 1 Zimbabwe 1
Knowledge Musona definitely has a good grasp of the game. But this close-range miss is inexcusable for a man of his calibre and footballing knowledge.
Zimbabwe are back on the attack, with Ovidy Karuru making the run on the right, before threading a fine pass to the Zimbabwean skipper, who rattles the crossbar when he should have guided the ball into an invintingly open goal.
Terrible miss!
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46min
Second half under way
Uganda 1 Zimbabwe 1
The teams are back from having their half time pep talk. Another 45 minutes to unfurl before us.
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8:56pm
HALF TIME
Uganda 1 Zimbabwe 1
The last time these two sides had faced off was on May 31, 2016 and Zimbabwe were 2-0 winners then.
Today, they are at it again. The first half had 13 shots with two goals. What does the second half have for us?
Meanwhile, the stadium is getting noisier and the crowd is growing. A big one is coming up next after the Uganda v Zimbabwe game. Hosts Egypt will be battling DR Congo in the other Group A game. Can Florent Ibenge's men recover from their opening defeat?
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8:47pm
HALF TIME: All square
Uganda 1 Zimbabwe 1
And there goes the half time whistle! The Zimbabwean juggernaut has been brought to a screeching halt.
Time for some oranges and a dose of much-needed pep talk.
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44min
Brilliant Billiat: The inevitability
Uganda 1 Zimbabwe 1
A keen observer of tonight's proceedings won't be surprised that Zimbabwe have clawed back into this game. They have been the brighter side so far, and the inevitability had to happen.
Onyango's former teammate at Mamelodi Sundowns Billiat has beaten him.
Question now is: Can The Cranes hold on here. They will definitely need the half-time pause to rethink their approach here.
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41min
GOAL! - Zimbabwe (Khama Billiat)
Uganda 1 Zimbabwe 1
Well, well, well. And the persistance finally pays off.
No prizes for guessing who.
It had to be him. Khama Billiat had to be put under close scrunity. The Kaizer Chiefs forward has been kept at bay for most of the opening half, but once he is played through, deep inside the Ugandan box, he will not miss.
Credit to Ovidy Karuru, who runs onto a chested pass, beats his minders with admirable dexterity, before slipping a pass to Billiat, who sneaks the ball into the lower right corner beyond Onyango.
Game on!
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36min
Zimbabwe asking all the questions
Uganda 1 Zimbabwe 0
It's fair to say that since going a goal down, Sunday Marimo Chidzambwa's men have been asking all the questions here.
The Cranes have been limited to doing plenty of defending now, courting danger. Can they hold on until half time?
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33min
CLOSE! - Zimbabwe (Danny Phiri)
Uganda 1 Zimbabwe 0
Oof! That was close!
Zimbabwe are awarded a freekick. Billiat delivers - it is a good one, well-measured, but Danny Phiri arrives a little too late to connect.
Again, The Warriors are putting up a solid display here despite trailing by a goal.
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28min
Warriors piling pressure
Uganda 1 Zimbabwe 0
The Warriors, trailing, have upped the tempo here. They are peppering the Ugandan box with dangerous attacks.
The Cranes are living dangerously here, and Khama Billiat is the man largely responsible for that unease in front of Denis Onyango.
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21min
CLOSE! - Zimbabwe (Knowledge Musona)
Uganda 1 Zimbabwe 0
How did Knowledge Musona miss that???
I, too, don't have an answer for that.
The Zimbabwean skipper is played through by Khama Billiat. He turns well but unbelievably skies the ball from close range into Row Z.
What a miss! Should have been 1-1.
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18min
CLOSE! - Zimbabwe (Khama Billiat)
Uganda 1 Zimbabwe 0
That goal has awakened Zimbabwe. They go on the attack. Dangerman Khama Billiant, brilliant as he is, dashes into the Ugandan box, turns on Ronald Mukiibi (who is starting ahead of injured Murushid Juuko), before whipping in a cross. It looks dangerous and goal-bound, but there is no teammate on the receiving end.
Should the Kaizer Chiefs midfielder have gone for goal instead? Maybe.
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12min
GOAL! - Uganda (Emmanuel Okwi)
Uganda 1 Zimbabwe 0
Here is a pattern. Against DR Congo, Simba SC man Emmanuel Okwi scored minutes after being fouled.
Fast-forward to tonight and the Ugandan forward does the same. I had just mentioned that he had been brought down during a challenge. Minutes later, he scores the opening goal!
Deja vu?
It is a powerful run by Abdu Lumala on the right flank and his shot draws George Chigova into a stretched save, but the Zimbabwean goalie spills it over to Okwi, who has the simplest of touches to make in front of a wide-open goal.
Great start for The Cranes!
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08min
Good chances for Uganda
Uganda 0 Zimbabwe 0
Uganda have seen more of the ball so far, probing The Warriors. Emmanuel Okwi, who scored one of the two goals against DR Congo, is busy already. He has the ball on his feet, but Nottingham Forest man Tendayi Darikwa won't allow him the luxury to perform any trickery on him, so he brings him down. Freekick to Uganda.
It is quickly taken and after a few touches on the right flank, the ball is out for Uganda's corner. Nothing comes from the delivery though.
05min
Early days it is
Uganda 0 Zimbabwe 0
Early freekick for Uganda - the first of the game. It's familiar legs behind the dead ball. Farouk Miya will deliver.
He does, but it's low and the effort is cleared out of danger.
You can sense that both teams are sizing each other up in these opening minutes.
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8:01pm
KICKOFF! - We are under way
Uganda 0 Zimbabwe 0
It's game on! Let's get the ball rolling. A MASSIVE 90 minutes ahead.
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7:54pm
Here come the teams
Uganda v Zimbabwe (8:00pm)
The teams are out of the dugout.
Uganda are wearing red and black (with goalkeeper Onyango in all-white). Zimbabwe are in all-yellow.
Anthems are next, with Uganda's first. Kickoff minutes away. A boisterous crowd here inside the Cairo International Stadium.
7:46pm
Starting lineup: Zimbabwe
Uganda v Zimbabwe (8:00pm)
And The Warriors will start off like this (changes made):
George Chigova, Tendayi Darikwa, Divine Lunga, Alec Mudimu, Teenage Hadebe, Danny Phiri, Talent Chawapiwa, Ovidy Karuru, Khama Billiat, Knowledge Musona (C), Thabani Kamusoko
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7:46pm
Starting lineup: Uganda
Uganda v Zimbabwe (8:00pm)
Here is how The Cranes are starting tonight (defender Murushid Juuko is the one absentee):
Denis Onyango (C), Bevis Mugabi, Ronald Mukiibi, Godfrey Walusimbi, Hassan Wasswa, Khalid Aucho, Farouk Miya, Abdu Lumala, Michael Azira, Emmanuel Okwi, Patrick Kaddu
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7:40pm
ANALYSIS: Some match-ups
By Fred Kaweesi, New Vision sports editor
Big games are often decided by big moments and big personalities. As far as Cranes' prospects at the 2019 Africa Nations Cup are concerned, the stage can't get any bigger than today's explosive fixture against Zimbabwe at Cairo International Stadium. So, with both nations certain to roll out their biggest personalities, there will be a number of mouthwatering head-to-head match-ups on display.
Here are some of the match-ups:
Goalkeepers Denis Onyango (Sundowns, South Africa) v Edmore Sibanda (Witsbank Spurs, South Africa):
Onyango is Africa Player of the Year based in Africa. He is also a CAF Champions League winner. He is a top quality goalkeeper with vast experience. But who is Sibanda? Nothing much. He's an average goalkeeper at South Africa's National First Division club Witbank Spurs. He sustained a right knee contusion injury and was highly doubtful for this game. Even if Sibanda makes it, he will struggle to deal with Cranes' rampant attacks. Advantage: Uganda
Right-backs: Tendayi Darikwa (Nottingham Forest, England) v Bevis Mugabi (Yeovil Town, England)
Mugabi was solid and provided good aerial cover against DR Congo but offered less going forward. On the other side, Darikwa offers Zimbabwe's attacking players support from the defensive third when possession is gained.
Advantage: Zimbabwe
Left-backs Godfrey Walusimbi (No club) v Divine Lunga (Golden Arrows, South Africa):
When fully fit, Walusimbi is a fine full-back that can support the team's offensive play with brilliant and incisive runs into the opponent's defensive half. Despite being inactive since January, he looked decent against DR Congo. On the other side, Lunga has been competive for Golden Arrows. He is a swift full-back that uses his left foot well. He successfully dealt with Egyptian star Mo Salah in their first game.
Advantage: Zimbabwe
Central defenders (Man markers) Hassan Wasswa (No club) v Teenage Hadebe (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa):
Just like Walusimbi, Wasswa has been inactive but save for one or two moments, he barely put a foot wrong against DR Congo. When fully fit, he is really strong and cannot be bullied. On the other hand, Hadebe is equally strong. He passes the ball well out of defence under pressure, is intelligent and has good aerial strength.
Advantage: Zimbabwe
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7:26pm
Watch out for Khama Billiat!
Uganda v Zimbabwe (8:00pm)
These, up in the above picture, are the scenes that Ugandans will be hoping to see at the end of tonight's big game . . .
. . . but their team, The Cranes, will have to deal with the big threat that will come in the form a diminutive player, the brilliant Khama Billiat. The 2016 African Player of the Year nominee, who plays for South African top-flight football side Kaizer Chiefs, will be up against his former teammate at Mamelodi Sundowns: Denis Onyango.
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7:22pm
Denis Onyango will be key
Uganda v Zimbabwe (8:00pm)
If the Ugandans are to tame The Warriors, they will need their man inbetween the posts to be at his best.
Denis Onyango will no doubt be tested tonight.
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7:15pm
Another flying start?
Uganda v Zimbabwe (8:00pm)
The Uganda Cranes hit the ground running in this 32nd edition of the Nations Cup with a resounding production against DR Congo in their opener.
In that game, they took the lead as early as the 15th minute through Patrick Kaddu, before Emmanuel Okwi sealed the Leopards' fate with a second-half goal.
Can Uganda replicate Saturday's performance tonight at the Cairo International Stadium?
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7:06pm
Hello everyone
Uganda v Zimbabwe (8:00pm)
Good evening to you. Welcome to live text coverage of the Group A clash between The Cranes of Uganda and The Warriors of Zimbabwe.
Uganda are eyeing a second win, Zimbabwe are setting their sights on a first.
Stick with me for updates as we build up to the 8:00pm kickoff.
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7:00pm
A huge 90 minutes
Uganda v Zimbabwe (8:00pm)
There is a lot one-and-a-half hours can do.
In football, those 90 minutes can change so many things.
In football, those 5,400 seconds can mean a team's progression to the next stage of a competition.
For the Uganda Cranes, tonight's 90 minutes could have exactly that effect. And one man will be setting his sights on a task that has failed many before him.
Can Sebastien Desabre guide Uganda into the knockout stage of the Nations Cup?
"Yes, I can," he must be telling himself.
