Cranes’ defeat kills Nations Cup hopes
Sep 08, 2008
ALONG with their massively deflated supporters in Kampala and elsewhere, the Uganda Cranes were left staring at doom after surrendering a 1-0 lead to lose 3-1 to Niger in a 2010 World Cup/Nations Cup qualifier played last evening in Niamey. The Cranes went into the encounter admirably positioned.
By Paul Mbuga
WC/ACN qualifier
Group Three
Benin 3 Angola 2
Niger 3 Uganda 1
ALONG with their massively deflated supporters in Kampala and elsewhere, the Uganda Cranes were left staring at doom after surrendering a 1-0 lead to lose 3-1 to Niger in a 2010 World Cup/Nations Cup qualifier played last evening in Niamey. The Cranes went into the encounter admirably positioned.
Tied for second-place with heavyweights Angola on seven points apiece and in possession of a creditable goal difference of nought, Niger –– who had lost all four of their preceding four matches –– were to constitute the reception committee for Uganda’s passage to the next qualifying phase.
Disaster strikes
But alas, lo and behold, it all came apart in a catastrophic second half as the Nigeriens rallied after David Obua had given Uganda a first-half lead.
The result leaves Uganda in third place with seven points and a goal difference of -2.
The Palancas Negras also remain tied with Uganda on seven points, but despite the defeat to Benin maintain a goal difference of +2 that could prove invaluable. As it is, Uganda will ultimately bear the brunt of a highly-complex qualification formula.
Ordinarily, a second-place finish in the group would have ensured a straight fight with the other 12 runners-up to determine the best eight on account of points and goal difference, but Eritrea’s withdrawal from the qualification campaign threw a spanner in the works.
CAF, African football’s governing body, decided to give the runners-up in the group Eritrea withdrew from (Group Eleven) a fair shot at qualifying.
So rather than simply looking at points gained and goal difference to determine the best second-placed teams, a mind-numbing re-calculation will take place. The runners-up in Group Eleven, which has three teams, will have their statistics unchanged.
But in the other groups, the points and goal difference that the second-placed teams had against the fourth-placed team will be erased.
These new totals will then be used to determine the eight best runners-up, using points gained and then goal difference, then goals scored.
Second-place finish a must
But even before a team is awarded its invitation to this grand calculus party, it must first finish second in its group.
Uganda lies third behind Angola with an inferior goal difference.
For the Cranes to finish second, they must beat the already qualified Beninoise at home by a substantial margin to wipe out the goal difference deficit. That done, Uganda must go on to hope that Angola either draws with Niger in Luanda or loses to the Nigeriens by more than two goals. What chance of that happening?
WC/ACN qualifier
Group Three
Benin 3 Angola 2
Niger 3 Uganda 1
ALONG with their massively deflated supporters in Kampala and elsewhere, the Uganda Cranes were left staring at doom after surrendering a 1-0 lead to lose 3-1 to Niger in a 2010 World Cup/Nations Cup qualifier played last evening in Niamey. The Cranes went into the encounter admirably positioned.
Tied for second-place with heavyweights Angola on seven points apiece and in possession of a creditable goal difference of nought, Niger –– who had lost all four of their preceding four matches –– were to constitute the reception committee for Uganda’s passage to the next qualifying phase.
Disaster strikes
But alas, lo and behold, it all came apart in a catastrophic second half as the Nigeriens rallied after David Obua had given Uganda a first-half lead.
The result leaves Uganda in third place with seven points and a goal difference of -2.
The Palancas Negras also remain tied with Uganda on seven points, but despite the defeat to Benin maintain a goal difference of +2 that could prove invaluable. As it is, Uganda will ultimately bear the brunt of a highly-complex qualification formula.
Ordinarily, a second-place finish in the group would have ensured a straight fight with the other 12 runners-up to determine the best eight on account of points and goal difference, but Eritrea’s withdrawal from the qualification campaign threw a spanner in the works.
CAF, African football’s governing body, decided to give the runners-up in the group Eritrea withdrew from (Group Eleven) a fair shot at qualifying.
So rather than simply looking at points gained and goal difference to determine the best second-placed teams, a mind-numbing re-calculation will take place. The runners-up in Group Eleven, which has three teams, will have their statistics unchanged.
But in the other groups, the points and goal difference that the second-placed teams had against the fourth-placed team will be erased.
These new totals will then be used to determine the eight best runners-up, using points gained and then goal difference, then goals scored.
Second-place finish a must
But even before a team is awarded its invitation to this grand calculus party, it must first finish second in its group.
Uganda lies third behind Angola with an inferior goal difference.
For the Cranes to finish second, they must beat the already qualified Beninoise at home by a substantial margin to wipe out the goal difference deficit. That done, Uganda must go on to hope that Angola either draws with Niger in Luanda or loses to the Nigeriens by more than two goals. What chance of that happening?