Comoros ended a 3,084-day wait for a first competitive international football victory when they defeated visiting Botswana 1-0 on Thursday in Group D of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
That result put the Les Coelecantes on three points just like Botswana and Burkina Faso.
By the look of things, Uganda just needs to pick six points from the available 12 to qualify for the Gabon finals, the first time since 1978.
But those six points won’t come on a silver platter; the Cranes being on top of their pool with six points should be far from comfort.
Going into their third game against Burkina Faso on Saturday in Ouagadougou, the Massa Geoffrey led side will be trying to avoid a defeat.
The Cranes have been poor travellers until recently. One of their two wins this campaign has been away from home, against Comoros. Botswana failed there, and there chances that Burkina Faso also will.
But what will happen if Burkina Faso picks three points off Uganda on Saturday?
The win will take The Stallions to six points just like their hosts on March 29 at Namboole, a tie Uganda will need to win to keep the campaign lively.
For a team that returns on Monday afternoon ahead of the game on Tuesday, asking for maximum points from the boys will be too much especially since the opponents will be here on by Sunday.
Let’s say in the return leg Uganda avoids defeat and settles for a draw, that leaves us on seven points with Burkina Faso.
But before we play the Tuesday game, Botswana would have hosted Comoros on March 27 (Sunday).
And they will most likely use their home advantage to get back into the campaign; a win will take Botswana to six, one behind Uganda and Burkina Faso.
That will leave Uganda with no choice but to go Francistown and play for a draw at worst which takes them to eight points; a win would push Uganda to ten.
A loss will leave Uganda at seven and take Botswana at nine, leaving the former with no chance but to defeat Comoros at Namboole on September 3 to accumulate 10 points.
But in the event that Uganda picks a draw in Francistown, they will go on eight and a win against Comoros will see Uganda end the campaign with 11.
All that is not factoring in the detail that Burkina still has Mitsamiouli to visit, where, if they went and picked three points they would be on 10.
Their last game is against Botswana in Ouagadougou, the 2013 silver medalists will give anything to win and top the group on 13 points.
But all the above won’t matter if Uganda can pick at least a win off Burkina Faso either in Ouagadougou or Kampala, even a loss in Francistown won’t count as long as the Cranes can defeat Comoros in Namboole and top their pool with 12 points.
