On the evening of January 21 at the Stade de Port-Gentil in Gabon, Uganda Cranes were close to a picking their first point against Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon). However, with two minutes left on the clock, substitute Abdallah El-Said struck after a pass from Mohamed Salah, the Pharaohs winning it at the death. That 1-0 win would propel Egypt to the final of the competition before losing to Cameroon. For Uganda, it marked the end of quest for glory upon return to the continental football for the first time in 39 years.
Seven months later, the two nations renew their rivalry as Uganda face Egypt in a double header within five days in the on-going 2018 Fifa World Cup Qualification campaign. Uganda will be hosts on Thursday with Egypt returning the favour in Alexandria next Tuesday. So is revenge on the minds of the Uganda Cranes’ players? “Yeah, actually it’s true,” Cranes’ player Joseph Ochaya told this website early this week. “But we shall first fight for our luck,” he said. “Then (in Gabon), it was their luck and we cannot deny that. I see the zeal in the team and by God’s grace, we shall revenge.”
For coach Moses Basena, filling the void left by Micho Sredojevic, there is something for Uganda to show when the teams walk out of the Namboole tunnel on Thursday afternoon. “We lost two minutes from time,” Basena recalled the sad moment that left Ugandans in Port-Gentil stuck in cold. “It is against Egypt that we scored a goal and it was cancelled,” he recalled Ochaya’s second-half cancelled effort.
“We have something, not to prove but to show.” Basena was then dragged into the talk of facing star-studded Egypt who key player Salah tore apart the Arsenal defence as his side Liverpool won 4-0 in the Premier League last weekend. “We are not going to play against Mohamed Salah. We are playing Egypt. They have brilliant players but it is about how we approach them, time on the ball, limit them on one-on-one situations.”
Mind you, Uganda is yet to concede a goal in the road to Russia in four matches. They beat Togo 4-0 on aggregate in the run-up to the pool stages. And now in Group E, the Cranes drew goalless away in Tamale against Ghana before beating Congo-Brazzaville 1-0 at Namboole last November. On four points, Uganda is two behind leaders Egypt, 2-1 and 2-0 winners over Congo and Ghana respectively.
Basena recalled Zambia-based defender Isaac Isinde to the squad and he’s likely to start alongside Murushid Juuko at the heart of defence. They will be tasked with containing Salah and Mahmoud Kahraba. Defensive midfielder Ivan Ntege was also called up from Botswana but Khalid Aucho and Hassan Wasswa will be tasked to track Mahmoud Trezeguet, Tarek Hamed and Mohamed El Neny’s movements.
At the front, Miya, scorer of four goals in this campaign, could play behind Emmanuel Okwi and Derrick Nsibambi or Kizito Luwagga. Okwi’s pace and Nsibambi’s aerial prowess will be under Ahmed Hegazy’s watch. Striker Geoffrey Sserunkuma, Ntege, Muzamiru Mutyaba and Timothy Awany are the likely options on the bench.
2018 FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
GROUP E FIXTURES
THURSDAY, AUGUST 31
4pm: Uganda vs. Egypt, Namboole
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1
6:15pm: Ghana vs. Congo, Kumasi
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
5:15pm: Congo vs. Ghana, Brazzaville
9pm: Egypt vs. Uganda, Alexandria
(ALL TIMES IN EAT)
TABLE STANDINGS
Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
Egypt 2 2 0 0 4 1 3 6
Uganda 2 1 1 0 1 0 1 4
Ghana 2 0 1 1 0 2 -2 1
Congo 2 0 0 2 1 3 -2 0
UGANDA CRANES’ PROBABLE STARTING XI: Denis Onyango ©, Nicholas Wadada, Joseph Ochaya, Isaac Isinde, Murushid Jjuuko, Hassan Wasswa, Khalid Aucho, Farouk Miya, Derrick Nsibambi, Emmanuel Okwi, Kizito Luwagga
EGYPT SQUAD IN KAMPALA
Goalkeepers: Essam El-Hadary (Al-Taawoun, KSA), Sherif Ekramy (Ahly), Ahmed El-Shennawy (Zamalek)
Defenders: Ahmed Fathi, Saad Samir, Rami Rabia, Ahmed Hegazy (West Brom, England), Ahmed Elmohamady (Aston Villa, ENG), Mohamed Abdel-Shafy (Ahli, KSA), Karim Hafez (RC Lens, France), Omar Gaber (FC Basel)
Midfielders: Mohamed El Neny (Arsenal, England), Ramadan Sobhi (Stoke City, England), Sam Morsy (Wigan Athletic, ENG), Mahmoud Trezeguet (Kasımpaşa, Turkey), Mostafa Fathi (Al Taawoun, KSA), Abdallah El-Said, Hossam Ashour, Saleh Gomaa (Ahly), Tarek Hamed (Zamalek), Mohamed Fathi (Ismaily)
Forwards: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, ENG), Mahmoud Kahraba (Ittihad, KSA), Amr Gamal (Bidvest Wits, RSA), Ahmed Hassan Kouka (Sporting Braga, POR), Hossam Hassan (Smouha)
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