Can Cranes shock Nigeria's Super Eagles?
Mar 25, 2015
Over the last two years, Uganda’s national football teams have fallen short of the expected standards.
By Fred Kaweesi
Wednesday, 8pm, Live on SS9
Nigeria v Uganda
Over the last two years, Uganda’s national football teams have fallen short of the expected standards.
Apart from Cranes’ disappointing outing during the 2015 Nations Cup qualifiers, the U-17 and U-23 teams fell short in their respective youth championship qualifiers.
It’s this scenario of events that had fans protest during Cranes’ return from their wretched 2-0 defeat to Guinea in Morocco last November.
It’s this damning trend that saw fans pelt objects and demand for the resignation of head coach Micho Sredejovic after Kobs’ 4-1 shoot-out defeat to Mozambique this month.
The Serbian’s two year contract expires in May this year and only an impressive turn of results —starting with today’s friendly against Nigeria —will influence the fans’ levels of optimism ahead of the 2017 Nations Cup qualifiers.
“It was important to secure such a high-profile game. It will enable me work with the players and help us correct mistakes from the previous campaign,” Micho told New Vision last week after confirming the friendly.
Unfinished business
The game due to be played at the newly constructed Akwa Ibom Stadium will evoke memories of the closely contested duels between the two sides during the 2008 Nations Cup qualifiers in 2007.
Incidentally, the two fixtures were clouded in controversy.
While Cranes fans rubbished Senegalese referee Badara Diatta for controversially cancelling Geoffrey Sserunkuuma’s would-be equaliser in the 1-0 defeat in Abeokuta, the Super Eagles equally felt undone by the two penalties in their 2-1 defeat in Kampala.
The two will now have the opportunity of settling scores in a game Cranes will only win if they opt for the right personnel and game plan against the star-studded Super Eagles.
Cranes’ togetherness, the desire to accept the ball in tight situations, with colleagues making space to help out will prove essential.
If Cranes succeed in frustrating Lazio star Ogenyi Onazi and Hull City’s Sone Aluko then attacking midfielders Brian Majwega, Luwagga Kizito and striker Geoffrey Massa will prove effective and probably decisive.
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