COSAFA U-20 Youth Championship 2017:
Thursday, 14th December (Semifinals):
- South Africa vs Egypt – Nkana Stadium (2 p.m)
- Uganda vs Lesotho – Nkana Stadium (5 p.m)
As Uganda national U-20 team (The Hippos) takes on Lesotho in the semi final show down at the 2017 COSAFA U-20 tournament, two key figures might be missing in action.
Fast improving Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) football club left back Mustapha Kizza and Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) right back Fred Okot will miss the match scheduled at the Nkana stadium.
Kizza is out with two cautions and Okot is still nursing an ankle injury suffered in the match against Swaziland.
The roving left back Kizza was first cautioned in the second game of group A as they settled for a 2 all draw with Swaziland last Friday and then on Monday during the final group match against Malawi to book the semifinal berth.
Head coach Mathias Lule and the rest of the technical team will have to revisit their squad for possible replacements.
Qatar based player Victor Matovu, who plays at Aspire Football Academy is Kizza’s natural replacement at the left back position.
At right back either KCCA utility player Julius Poloto or US based student Andrew Isiagi Okiring will take over the role.
For starters, Poloto was preferred ahead of Okiring at the number two role in the Malawi clash.
The goods news though is the timely return of talismanic striker and captain Muhammed ‘Jaggarson’ Shaban.
Shaban had been red carded during the Swaziland clash where he also scored his third goal of the tourney.
The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Football Club forward consequentially missed the team’s last group match.
Defending Champions and tournament hosts Zambia are already eliminated.
Both Uganda and Egypt are the tourney guest countries.
