Uganda U-20 hold DR Congo to draw
Apr 20, 2008
UGANDA battled to a crucial away draw with Democratic Republic of Congo’s U-20 side in the Africa Youth Championship yesterday.
By James Bakama
Africa U-20 Championship
Preliminary, Rd, 1st leg
D.R. Congo 0 Uganda 0
UGANDA battled to a crucial away draw with Democratic Republic of Congo’s U-20 side in the Africa Youth Championship yesterday.
Not even the confiscation of the Ugandans’ passports and a poor training ground could disorient the focused Hippos, who will be hungrily searching for goals in the May 4 Kampala return leg.
The draw came after a boardroom battle led by Uganda’s envoy to D.R.Congo Charles Wagaba and embassy staff to salvage the visitors’ passports.
The passports were allegedly confiscated because of the Ugandans’ failure to present properly documented health cards. They were however only released for pre-match identification of players after a commitment by FUFA to pay a $1,250 fine.
When the action started, the Ugandans showed why the DRC side were scared, dominating most of the game.
Goalkeeper Ali Kimera pulled off acrobatic saves to the disappointment of the 20,000 passionate fans in Kinshasa’s Martyrs 80,000-seater stadium.
Caeser Okhuti , Brian Omwony and Mike Mutyaba were a pain in the hosts’ defence.
The Ugandan attack twice hit the woodwork in a match that could have, with more accuracy, gone the visitors way.
Left-full-back Godfrey Walusimbi was a rock in Uganda’s backline, not only keeping the hosts at bay, but also making penetrative overlaps. Team manager Mohammed Faisal was a bitter man after the match.
“These people fielded over-age players,†he complained, insisting that had “DR Congo not cheated†in this aspect, the result would have been very different.
“But even with these over age players, we still dominated them. We should have an easy task in Kampala,†he said.
Any win will see the Hippos, as the Ugandan U-20 team are called, advance to the next round
The 16-man team that travelled:
A.Kimera, G.Buule, A.Kisaliita, P.Waligo, J.Muwanguzi, M.Musoke, G.Walusimbi, H.Kavuma, C.Ntambi, H.Ssenkumba, O.Kasule, M.Mutyaba, S.Sserunkuuma, M.Oloya, B.Omony and C.Okhuti.
Coach:
Jackson Mayanja
Africa U-20 Championship
Preliminary, Rd, 1st leg
D.R. Congo 0 Uganda 0
UGANDA battled to a crucial away draw with Democratic Republic of Congo’s U-20 side in the Africa Youth Championship yesterday.
Not even the confiscation of the Ugandans’ passports and a poor training ground could disorient the focused Hippos, who will be hungrily searching for goals in the May 4 Kampala return leg.
The draw came after a boardroom battle led by Uganda’s envoy to D.R.Congo Charles Wagaba and embassy staff to salvage the visitors’ passports.
The passports were allegedly confiscated because of the Ugandans’ failure to present properly documented health cards. They were however only released for pre-match identification of players after a commitment by FUFA to pay a $1,250 fine.
When the action started, the Ugandans showed why the DRC side were scared, dominating most of the game.
Goalkeeper Ali Kimera pulled off acrobatic saves to the disappointment of the 20,000 passionate fans in Kinshasa’s Martyrs 80,000-seater stadium.
Caeser Okhuti , Brian Omwony and Mike Mutyaba were a pain in the hosts’ defence.
The Ugandan attack twice hit the woodwork in a match that could have, with more accuracy, gone the visitors way.
Left-full-back Godfrey Walusimbi was a rock in Uganda’s backline, not only keeping the hosts at bay, but also making penetrative overlaps. Team manager Mohammed Faisal was a bitter man after the match.
“These people fielded over-age players,†he complained, insisting that had “DR Congo not cheated†in this aspect, the result would have been very different.
“But even with these over age players, we still dominated them. We should have an easy task in Kampala,†he said.
Any win will see the Hippos, as the Ugandan U-20 team are called, advance to the next round
The 16-man team that travelled:
A.Kimera, G.Buule, A.Kisaliita, P.Waligo, J.Muwanguzi, M.Musoke, G.Walusimbi, H.Kavuma, C.Ntambi, H.Ssenkumba, O.Kasule, M.Mutyaba, S.Sserunkuuma, M.Oloya, B.Omony and C.Okhuti.
Coach:
Jackson Mayanja