Uganda Rugby Sevens team will be under pressure to defend a cup they have won in the last two campaigns.
Team captain Micheal Okorach believes the team is more prepared and carries more experience going into the championship compared to the previous campaigns.
"We are better exposed now as a team and that has helped us get more experience," Okorach said at the team's flagoff Monday afternoon.
Only this year, the Uganda Sevens featured at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and the 2018 Sevens World Cup in San Francisco
There will be immense pressure on the Cranes who are in search of their third consecutive sevens cup.
"The tournament this year is going to be very tricky because Kenya and Namibia are back. They will want to stop us," Okorach added.
Head coach Tolbert Onyango believes the team has a good chance of defending the cup and continuing to enhance their status at the big stage.
While Uganda have been placed with Senegal and Ghana in Group B, head coach Tolbert Onyango believes the Cranes have a chance to win an historic, third straight title.
"We are determined to retain the cup because the preparations have been very good," Onyango said.
The Kenyan tactician also believes the experience from this year's events will hand the Cranes the important experience.
"Playing at the Commonwealth Games and the World Cup this year has taught us some lessons and that will be added advantage."
While naming his team, Onyango clearly went for a blend of experience and new rookies.
Isaac Massanganzira, Haruna Muhammad and Ian Arnold Munyani are the new faces in the set up and will have their first outing with the team.
Apart from the three, the rest of the team was in San Francisco for the World Cup and must have picked up one or two lessons to employ at the African showpiece in Monastir.
The competition will also double as pre-qualifiers for the 2020 Olympics.
Squad: Isaac Massanganzira, Solomon Saulo Okia, Byron Oketayot, Adrian Kasito, Aaron Ofoyrwoth, Philip Wokorach, Micheal Okorach (c), Timothy Kisiga, Pius Ogena, Ian Arnold Munyani, Muhammed Haruna, Justin Kimono.
AFRICA 7s 2018 POOLS
Pool A: Kenya,Morocco, Botswana
Pool B: Uganda, Senegal, Ghana
Pool C: Zimbabwe, Tunisia, Mauritius
Pool D: Madagascar, Namibia, Zambia
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