Cranes in Jersey scare

Sep 04, 2005

UGANDA Cranes got an early scare yesterday after being told that they would not play their away encounter against Ghana due to a uniform colour clash.

By Norman Katende
in Kumasi, Ghana
and agencies


CAF group stage matches
Group A
Mali 2 Congo 0
Zambia 0 Senegal 1
Group B
B. Faso 3 S. Africa 1
Group C
Libya 0 Sudan 0
Group E
Morocco 1 Botswana 0
Kenya 0 Tunisia 2
Played Sunday
Group A: Togo v Liberia
Group B
DR Congo v Cape Verde
Ghana v Uganda
Group C
Ivory Coast v Cameroon
Egypt v Benin
Group D
Zimbabwe v Rwanda
Angola v Gabon
Algeria v Nigeria
Group E: Guinea v Malawi


UGANDA Cranes got an early scare yesterday after being told that they would not play their away encounter against Ghana due to a uniform colour clash.

At the technical committee meeting, hosts Ghana said they preferred their away strip for the 2006 World Cup/ Africa Nations Cup encounter, which have black shorts and white tops. FIFA rules give the hosts first preference in the selection of uniforms.

This put Ugandan team manager Chris Mubiru at a loss as match commissioner Camara Kabele from Guinea and referee Jean Marie Hicuburundi (Burundi) insisted that Uganda had to get new shorts for the match.

Mubiru later rushed to town and bought yellow shorts for the match that was due last evening.

Meanwhile, a man masquerading as a Ugandan exile visited the Cranes camp and told Ugandan officials that Ghanaians had performed juju for the match.

The man, who did not know any Ugandan language, was introduced to assistant coach Sam Ssimbwa, and later to team leader Jasper Aligawesa by a friend. He went away after officials convinced him that Cranes had their own medicine man.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s hopes of World Cup qualification were effectively ended in Ouagadougou on Saturday after a 3-1 defeat to Burkina Faso.
The 2010 World Cup hosts needed to win the match to stay in contention for a place at the 2006 finals in Germany.

But they were swept aside by an inspired display from the home team.
Abdoulaye Cisse scored twice and Kebe Yahia got the other as Burkina Faso ran rampant against a lacklustre Bafana Bafana.

The South African face-saver came from substitute Sibusiso Zuma. Bafana Bafana remain second in Group Two behind Ghana on goal difference, but having played one game more and will need a miracle to qualify for their third consecutive World Cup.

Ghana hosted bottom-of-the-table Uganda yesterday and a home victory would eliminate the South Africans from the World Cup ahead of their final match at home to DR Congo next month.

Burkina Faso climbed above Cape Verde into fourth place, behind DR Congo on goal difference.

South Africa coach Stuart Baxter slammed his players after the defeat: “They could not cope with the situation and that was our biggest problem,” he said.

Cape Verde travelled to face the DR Congo in the remaining tie in the group, where victory for the island nation would boost its hopes of reaching a first Nations Cup finals.

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