Uganda Cranes turns down Genocide Cup invite
May 14, 2015
FUFA has turned down Rwanda''s invitation for the Uganda Cranes to compete in the inaugural Genocide Cup this year.
By Swalley Kenyi
FUFA has turned down Rwanda's invitation for the Uganda Cranes to compete in the inaugural Genocide Cup this year.
Rwanda had lined up Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Tanzania and the Amavubi Stars for the Cup to commemorate lives of over 70 football players, coaches, administrators and fans, who died in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi ethnic group in the country.
But FUFA spokesman Hussein Ahmed said that the Uganda Cranes have a tight schedule to allow it to honour the invitation on June 6-7.
"We have resolved not to play in the Genocide Cup because we already have an international friendly match, the Uganda Cup final and the AFCON qualifier against Botswana all around the same time next month," Ahmed said.
The Genocide Cup is slated for June 6-7 while the Uganda Cranes are lined up to play a friendly match on June 9 before taking on Botswana in the 2017 AFCON qualifier in Kampala four days (June 13) later and the CHAN qualifier against Tanzania on June 20.
But before all that the Uganda Cup competition involving KCCA FC and SC Villa players on the national teams will be on June 6 in Western Uganda.
Rwandese media had quoted Cranes coach Micho Sredojevic as saying that "the event (Genocide Cup) will be very good to prepare our players ahead of the (CHAN) qualifier against Tanzania on June 20."
It had also quoted the football federation FERWAFA CEO Olivier Mulindahabi saying that Kenya and Uganda had confirmed their participation verbally.
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