Uganda Cranes 2 Angola 1
Jun 15, 2013
Uganda Cranes staged a stunning comeback to beat Angola 2-1 to go top of Group J in the 2014 World Cup qualifier at Namboole.
By Pius Arinawe
World Cup qualifier
Uganda 2 (Okwi 82', Mawejje 90') Angola 1 (Estevao 57')
NAMBOOLE - Uganda Cranes staged a stunning comeback to beat Angola 2-1 to go top of Group J in the 2014 World Cup qualifier played at Namboole Stadium.
Tonny Mawejje scored a dramatic 90th minute winner to sink Angola after Emmanuel Okwi levelled matters on 82 minutes in reply to Angola taking a 57th minute lead.
Coach Micho Sredejovic was taking charge of only his second competitive game in charge of the Cranes since his appointment.
Micho made just one change to the team that defeated Liberia 1-0 last Saturday, bringing in Moses Oloya for Kizito Luwaga in midfield.
Emmanuel Okwi celebrates scoring the equalising goal that sparked Cranes' incredible comeback.
The hosts dominated much of the first half and created a host of opportunities thanks to some great interplay between Okwi and Geoffrey Massa upfront.
Oloya was a constant threat throughout and troubled Angola’s left back.
Massa was guilty of fluffing plenty of chances in the first half in which Uganda could have ended with three goals to the good. Marques in the Angola goal pulled off a string of saves to keep his side in the game.
Micho's men began the second half strongly and created a couple of chances but still couldn’t find the back of the net.
Coach Micho reacts after one of the many missed chances during the game.
They were made to rue those misses when Angola took the lead in the 57th minute through Estevao who curled the ball from outside the penalty area to Robert Odongkara’s left hand post to leave the custodian with no chance.
Micho immediately responded by introducing Hamis Kizza and Robert Ssentongo for Oloya and Massa.
The double change sparked life into the attack and it wasn’t long before Okwi, who was a constant menace for the Angolan defence all afternoon, found an equaliser, spraying an air of relief and more anxiety towards the home fans.
Okwi ran with the ball down the right hand side and his cross-cum-shot beat Marques for flight, wrong-footed the keeper and flew into an unguarded net from the most unlikely of angles on 82 minutes.
Cranes fans who turned out in huge numbers celebrate Mawejje's late winning goal.
Martin Mutumba, who was introduced shortly before the equaliser, was by now pulling the strings in midfield and ran at the visitors’ defence before playing Kizza through on goal.
Before Kizza could pull the trigger, he was fouled on the edge of the penalty area by Mufuta who was promptly shown a red card for the offence.
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