Cranes up in FIFA rankings, lined up for TZ friendly
Apr 08, 2009
UGANDA Cranes will play an international friendly against Kilimanjaro Stars in Dar-es-Salam on May 9. Cranes coach Robert Williamson will be facing a team he beat 2-1 before going on to claim the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup in Kampala in January.
By Swalley Kenyi
and Norman Katende
UGANDA Cranes will play an international friendly against Kilimanjaro Stars in Dar-es-Salam on May 9. Cranes coach Robert Williamson will be facing a team he beat 2-1 before going on to claim the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup in Kampala in January.
Last year, Tanzania ejected the Cranes from the inaugural Africa Nations Championship 3-1 on goal aggregate.
FUFA publicist Rogers Mulindwa announced the Dar-es-Salaam match at the PostBank weekly press conference at Mengo yesterday.
The official said the friendly matches are geared at keeping the team active.
“We want the Cranes to get used to winning away before the next qualifiers,†Mulindwa explained.
“We have requested for more away games with countries in the North and West Africa.â€
The Dar-es-Salaam game is the third international friendly for the Cranes this year after wins over Sudan in Khartoum and Malawi at Namboole.
The victories have also lifted Uganda one place to 68th in the FIFA rankings, nine places ahead of World Cup hosts South Africa.
Uganda is also ahead of neighbours Rwanda (83), Sudan (84) and Kenya (107) who are currently involved in the last stage of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.
Meanwhile FIFA will send officials to Uganda to do a research on football in Uganda and assist the local federation draw a development plan.
FIFA regional development officer Ashford Mamelodi will be in the country April 22 to finalise the plans. During his visit, he will also inspect the second phase of the FIFA Goal Project, the FUFA technical centre, now under construction at Njeru, Jinja.
FUFA CEO Edgar Watson yesterday confirmed that FIFA had formerly agreed with the arrangement.
“It will involve a lot of things. They will look at the players, coaches and administration. What we have requested them is to give a report and a way forward and they were happy about our request,†said Watson, who has just returned from a FIFA Congress in Botswana.
He said that the report will help boost the federation’s four-year and ten-year development plans by capturing those things that might have been left out.
and Norman Katende
UGANDA Cranes will play an international friendly against Kilimanjaro Stars in Dar-es-Salam on May 9. Cranes coach Robert Williamson will be facing a team he beat 2-1 before going on to claim the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup in Kampala in January.
Last year, Tanzania ejected the Cranes from the inaugural Africa Nations Championship 3-1 on goal aggregate.
FUFA publicist Rogers Mulindwa announced the Dar-es-Salaam match at the PostBank weekly press conference at Mengo yesterday.
The official said the friendly matches are geared at keeping the team active.
“We want the Cranes to get used to winning away before the next qualifiers,†Mulindwa explained.
“We have requested for more away games with countries in the North and West Africa.â€
The Dar-es-Salaam game is the third international friendly for the Cranes this year after wins over Sudan in Khartoum and Malawi at Namboole.
The victories have also lifted Uganda one place to 68th in the FIFA rankings, nine places ahead of World Cup hosts South Africa.
Uganda is also ahead of neighbours Rwanda (83), Sudan (84) and Kenya (107) who are currently involved in the last stage of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.
Meanwhile FIFA will send officials to Uganda to do a research on football in Uganda and assist the local federation draw a development plan.
FIFA regional development officer Ashford Mamelodi will be in the country April 22 to finalise the plans. During his visit, he will also inspect the second phase of the FIFA Goal Project, the FUFA technical centre, now under construction at Njeru, Jinja.
FUFA CEO Edgar Watson yesterday confirmed that FIFA had formerly agreed with the arrangement.
“It will involve a lot of things. They will look at the players, coaches and administration. What we have requested them is to give a report and a way forward and they were happy about our request,†said Watson, who has just returned from a FIFA Congress in Botswana.
He said that the report will help boost the federation’s four-year and ten-year development plans by capturing those things that might have been left out.