Cranes fans to depart Saturday morning

By James Bakama

TRAVEL arrangements are in final stages for the 153 fans sponsored by President Yoweri Museveni to travel to Morocco for Uganda’s World Cup match against Senegal.

According to the itinerary for the Ethiopian Airlines chartered plane, departure will be 5.10am on Saturday morning.

There will be a stopover in the Nigerian capital Abuja before the fans connect to the Moroccan city of Marrakech.

Ethiopian Airlines area manager Abebe Angessa confirmed yesterday that they had been booked to transport the fans. The airline has availed a Boeing 737-800 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as Boeing 737NG for the fans.

Arrival in Marrakech will be at 1.15pm Moroccan time and departure after the Saturday evening match will be at 2am. The fans return to Entebbe at mid-day on Sunday.

“That should be a time for celebration,” said Angessa as he wished the Cranes good luck in the penultimate World Cup qualification leg.

This is the first time that a Ugandan head of state charters a plane to transport fans. Museveni who is eager to see Uganda advance in the qualifiers, also fully funded the team’s travel.

Museveni in total gave local soccer federation FUFA sh943m for the Moroccco match. The Cranes are already in the North African state for the make-or-break encounter. Museveni noted that it was important to have fans in Marrakesh.

The president who was hosting the Cranes at the airbase in Entebbe said in Luganda “Temutwekwasa nti tetwatwala matali (Don’t blame us afterwards that we didn’t send cheerleaders.”

Squad in Marrakesh
Onyango, Odongkara, Muwonge, Kasagga, Kabugo, Iguma, Walusimbi, Kalungi, Mwesigwa, Wasswa, M.Oloya, Kizito, Isinde, Kalungi, Mutumba, Aziira, Mawejje, Kalanda, Okwi, Kiiza, B.Majwega, Ochaya.