Uganda Cranes Regional Tour 2017
- Kitara Region Select 1-3 Uganda Cranes
The Uganda Cranes successfully concluded the Kitara Region tour with a convincing performance against the Kitara Region Select side.
A 3-1 victory before hundreds of passionate football fans at Buhinga stadium in Fort Portal on Sunday gave head coach Milutin Sredejovic and the rest of his technical team some reasons to smile about ahead of a busy international calendar.
Emmanuel Okwi scored a brace in the game with the other strike coming from Nelson Senkatuka.
The national team led 3-0 by the half time mark with Okwi scoring the first in the 24th minute from a Shafiq Kagimu’s cross off the left wing.
Senkatuka powerfully nodded home on a dive the second off Milton Karisa’s teasing ball in the 42nd minute.
Okwi got the third in the first added minute of the first half when he followed up a Hassan Wasswa Mawanda dropping header that had already beaten goalkeeper Isaac Kwizera and looked destined to cross the goal line.
Second half substitute Beckam Musoki pulled one for the home team when he connected a rebound after his first attempt from a penalty spot had kissed the cross bar.
Central defender was Halid Lwaliwa replaced early in the first half after a leg injury. His place was taken by Savio Kabugo in the 17th minute.
Micho fielded two different sides for either halves with the exception of Kabugo who virtually played in either halves.
Kirinya-Jinja S.S goalie Tom Ikara was also introduced mid-way in the second half for Proline’s shot stopper Saidi Keni.
This was the second time that the Uganda Cranes defeated Kitara region, following a comprehensive 6-0 result in 2015.
The regional tours were started to rally support for the national team and give the fans an opportunity to associate, watch their favourite stars on the team.
Uganda Cranes main sponsors, Airtel Uganda and beer company Nile Breweries Limited under the flagship brand Nile Special finance these tours as coordinated by Kibo Media.