- Saturday June 10, 2017
- Cape Verde Vs Uganda – Praia City @ 4.30pm (Local Time) 8.30pm (EAT)
The long awaited Project Cameroon 2019 officially gets underway on Saturday when Uganda Cranes visit Cape Verde in their opening game of Group L in Praia.
A couple of months after assuming power, FUFA President Moses Magogo revealed his and the organization’s plan was to ensure Uganda qualifies for the finals of Africa’s biggest football competition in 2019.
In fact, he went further to state that qualifying for Gabon 2017 was a bonus but also part of the process for Cameroon 2019 campaign.
The long wait is finally over as Uganda seeks to start the campaign on a decent note.
Mulitin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic’s charges have had decent preparations for the game against the Islanders thanks to the two friendly matches against Ethiopia and Senegal.
“I am very satisfied,” Micho said of the preparations. “We have had problems. If you remember, before Afcon, we had time to prepare now we didn’t have time to prepare,” he added.
But we have improvised with the regional tour, the preparation friendly meeting with KCCA before departing and the friendlies against Ethiopia and Senegal.
Team captain Denis Onyango has stressed the importance of a decent start to the campaign against a side he dubbed as the ‘most dangerous’ to their ambitions in the group.
I believe Cape Verde is the most dangerous team in the group and if we get the results against them, it will open up our chances of qualifying for the next Afcon in Cameroon.
It’s very important and key for us to start on a high note and make it easy for ourselves in the coming games.
Team News
Despite campaign in Dakar, Senegal for close to a week now, the travel arrangement for the side has been a little awkward with most Cranes players expected to reach the match city hours to the game.
Only seven players have arrived in Praia on the eve of the match according to the media officer for the match, Hamza Kawuma Nsereko.
A batch of seven Uganda Cranes players has arrived in Praia City of Cape Verde while the rest will join on Saturday morning ahead of the AFCON 2019 qualifier against the home side.
The seven are strikers Shaban Muhammad, Derrick Nsibambi, Emmanuel Okwi, Geoffrey Sserunkuma defenders Isaac Muleme and Bernard Muwanga plus midfielder Robert Kakeeto.
Player to watch
Garry Mendes Rodrigues (Cape Verde)
The Dutch born winger is one of the stars of the Cape Verde team that the Cranes must keep a keen eye on.
Currently featuring for Galatasary in Turkey, Mendes has made over 17 appearances for the Cape Verde scoring twice.
Farouk Miya (Uganda)
The Cranes have failed to score in their two international friendlies prior to the game but if they are to score against Cape Verde, Miya and company must be at their mercurial best.
He has always netted important goals for the national team and expect him to do something special if Cranes are to pick a good result.
What you need to know
- Cape Verde and Uganda have only met twice in competitive matches with either winning 1-0 at home.
- Only Geoffrey Sserunkuma and Denis Onyango from the current Ugandan team was in the last team to play against the Islanders. He scored the winner at Namboole in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
- Cape Verde last qualified for Afcon finals in 2015 while Uganda did so as recent as 2017.
- Besides Uganda and Cape Verde, the other teams in Group L are Tanzania and Lesotho.
Cape Verde Squad for the game
Goalkeepers – Vozinha (Gil Vicente, Portugal), Thierry Graça (Estoril, Portugal), Ivan Cruz Somada (Gil Vicente, Portugal)
Defenders – Valdevindes Monteiro Vally (Progresso L. Sul – Angola), Ianique Tavares Stopira (Videoton, Hungria), Tiago Almeida (Moreirense, Portugal), Steven Pereira (MVV Maastricht, Holand), Jeffrey Fortes (Excelsior, Holand), Gégé (Paços Ferreira, Portugal), Babanco (Feirense, Portugal), Jozimar Lima (FC Emmen, Holland), Carlos Tavares ‘Carlitos’ (Omonia, Cyprus), Kevin Oliveira (Swope Park Rangers, USA)
Midfielders – Sérgio Semedo (Apollon Limassol – Cyprus), Carlos Rodrigues (Ponk) (Chaves – Portugal), Hélder Tavares (Tondela – Portugal), Jamiro Monteiro (Sc Cambuur – Netherlands), Wuilito Fernandes (Orange County SC – USA), Jimmy Inês (Académica – Portugal), Jovane Cabral (Sporting B – Portugal), Marco Soares (AEL Limassol, Cyprus)
Forwards: José Luis Andrade (Spartak Moscow – Russia), Heldon Ramos (Rio Ave – Portugal), Julio Tavares (Dijon – France), Garry Rodrigues (Galatasaray – Turkey), Ryan Mendes (Kayserispor – Turkey)
Uganda Cranes Probable XI:
Denis Onyango (GK) (C), Nicholas Wadada, Godfrey Walusimbi, Timothy Awany, Murushid Jjuuko, Hassan Wasswa Mawanda, Khalid Aucho, Emmanuel Okwi, Geoffrey Sserunkuma, Farouk Miya and Isaac Muleme.
