A brace from midfielder Muzamiru Mutyaba and a beauty from Derrick Nsibambi were the highlights in a comfortable 3-0 first leg victory for Uganda over visitors Rwanda's Amavubi at the St. Mary’s Stadium in Kitende last weekend.
Coaches Moses Basena and Fred Kajoba should have been satisfied with the team display after their first assignment since replacing departed Milutin Micho Sredojevic. However, Basena has ruled out complacency as the Cranes seek to finish the job away at the Kigali Regional Stadium in Nyamirambo on Saturday. “We are traveling to Rwanda on a leveled ground. We start the second leg at 0-0. We need to work hard as a unit in the return leg to guarantee qualification” Basena said before the team departed. Such is the character Basena wants to instill in the players when they take the field. And that implies, no sitting back to protect the three-goal lead.
At Kitende, Basena deployed Savio Kabugo at the heart of defence but the lanky player is unavailable as he is away undertaking trials at Bloemfontein Celtic. The Proline player has been replaced by Timothy Away, who returned from trials at Ajax Cape Town, another South African club. Meanwhile, Onduparaka pair of Muhammad Shaban and Rashid Toha made the bench in the 3-0 win but both were left out of the travelling contingent, the latter struggling with a typhoid problem. With Ismael Watenga in goal, Nicholas Wadada is expected to deploy the right, Isaac Muleme at left with Awany and KCCA FC teammate Paul Musamali in central defence. Captain Bernard Muwanga will boss the central midfield while giving backing to Mutyaba, Shafic Kagimu and Moses Waiswa. Striker Derrick Nsibambi could get a partner in Milton Karisa.
Meanwhile, hosts Rwanda will have to deal with the absence of Ernest Suriga, who limped early in the week. Defender Aimable Rucogoza and forward Bernabe Mubumbyi were booked in the first leg. Should Uganda go past the Amavubi, they will have earned a fourth successive ticket to the Chan finals, with next year’s edition to be held in Kenya.
UGANDA CRANES SQUAD IN KIGALI
Goalkeepers: Ismael Watenga, Benjamin Ochan
Outfield players: Nico Wakiro Wadada, Deus Bukenya, Isaac Muleme, Martin Kizza, Bernard Muwanga, Timothy Denis Awany, Paul Musamali, Muzamir Mutyaba, Shafic Kagimu, Tom Masiko, Paul Mucureezi, Milton Karisa, Simon Sserukuma, Moses Waiswa, Erisa Ssekisambu and Derrick Nsibambi
This writer is a scribe with Daily Monitor Newspaper and, also a sports presenter with NBS Television and Radio One FM 90 in Kampala. Follow him on Twitter: @AllanDarren and his Facebook Page: Darren Allan Kyeyune