McKinstry cautiously optimistic after CHAN 2020 draw

McKinstry (r) is confident of progressing past the group stages. File Photo

Uganda Cranes head coach Johnathan McKinstry is confident that his side has a chance to make it to the knockout stages of the 2020 African Nations Championship (CHAN) finals will be held in Cameroon from April 4 to 25.

McKinstry who guided Rwanda to the quarterfinals of the 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) was reacting to draws that placed Uganda in Group C with defending champions Morocco, Rwanda and debutants Togo on Monday.

"When we played CECAFA, the whole point was to prepare the team, how do we want to play, how is our structure, how do want to pass the ball, attack and defend. One of our concerns was what happens if we lose five or six players. We lost two (Allan Okello and Joel Madondo), the team largely remains in contact, which means when we come together for a training camp in March, we will be revising and revisiting the things that players already know," he stated.

"Then will be building on top of that to try to take us to the next level. We believe we are in a good position and looking to take that next stage to the quarterfinals and hopefully beyond and we have the talent to go deep in the tournament, but we just need to perform when it comes to the matches."

He added, "Uganda's performance in the past editions has been a disappointment since Uganda Premier League is very competitive and every year, we have eight or nine players that leave the country to go profession. This shows that clubs in the league are doing something to develop talented players to move out of Uganda. But that has not been reflected in the CHAN performances."

Uganda has never gone past the group stages and this is something Mckinstry has to deal with.

Cranes that qualified for the 2020 finals after humbling Burundi 6-0 on aggregate in October last year, will start their campaign with Rwanda on April 6, according to reports from Cameroon. The top two teams of each group advance to the quarter-finals.

CHAN that is exclusively for players who are active in the national championships was introduced in 2009 to revive or strengthen national competitions regularly weakened by a mass exodus of top players who leave their home countries to play for foreign teams.

Other groups:

Hosts Cameroon will face Mali, Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe in group A. Libya, DR Congo, Congo and Niger are in Group B.

Zambia, Guinea, Namibia and Tanzania are in group D.