- International Friendly:
- Senegal 0-0 Uganda Cranes
Uganda Cranes played to a goalless draw with a very physical Terenga Lions of Senegal side during an international friendly match played at the gigantic Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor in Dakar city.
Before the game, a minute’s silence was observed in respect of the services rendered to the beautiful game by fallen Ivorian midfielder Chieck Ismael Tiote, who collapsed during a training session and was declared dead moments later in a Chinese hospital.
This was the second successive goalless draw following a similar result in Ethiopia on Saturday.
Uganda Cranes head coach made three changes from the team that started three days earlier in Ethiopia.
KCCA trio goalie Benjamin Ochan, Isaac Muleme as well as forward Derrick Nsibambi all started.
Either sides were both offensive and defensive to earn the result with the visitors coming closer through Nsibambi and Okwi.
The Senegalese, ranked 27th in the FIFA ratings (a massive 44 places adrift of Uganda) caused some trouble with their physicality.
French-based forward Famara Diedhiou, who turns out for Angers was a substitute for Fiorentina striker Babacar Khouma.
Diedhiou was a thorn in the flesh of the Uganda Cranes defence that missed new skipper and number one goalkeeper Denis Onyango.
Liverpool live wire striker Sadio Mane and West Ham midfielder Cheikhou Kouyaté also missed the game through injury.
This was the 5th meeting between the two countries with the West Africans ahead having won 3 and now drawn 2.
Both friendlies are a perfect preparatory measure ahead of the opening Group L match against Cape Verde in Praia.
Aliou Cisse’s Senegal, heavily castigated by a section of fans after the game was recovering from that 1-0 loss suffered to Mexico in yet another friendly tie.
They will now look forward to their opening Group A match against Equatorial Guinea at the same stadium.
The other group teams are Sudan and Madagascar.
For the meantime, the Uganda Cranes will stay in Senegal until Saturday when the team shall fly out to the Cape Verde Islands.
Uganda Cranes XI: Benjamin Ochan (G.K), Nico Wakiro Wadada, Godfrey Walusimbi, Murushid Juuko, Benard Muwanga, Khalid Aucho, Hassan Wasswa Mawanda, Faruku Miya, Emmanuel Arnold Okwi, Derrick Nsibambi, Isaac Muleme