Preview: Pride at stake as West Africans Niger, Uganda Cranes lock horns in international build up duel

International Friendly Match:

• Saturday, 2nd June 2018
• Niger Vs Uganda Cranes

*At Stade Général Seyni Kountché, Niamey (11 PM in Uganda)

Ranked 109th on the latest FIFA Rankings, Niger will take on the Uganda Cranes who are in the 74th position, in a clear battle to better their respective ratings.

The match will take place at the Stade Général Seyni Kountché in Niamey city on Saturday night.

This will be Uganda Cranes’ second international build up match under three days.

For Niger, the game comes barely a week since they engaged Central African Republic in a 3 all stalemate.

For starters, this will be the third and last match in the three nation invitational tournament which also had Central African Republic (CAR) as the other country.

In the earlier match played last Sunday, Niger and Central African Republic shared the spoils in a six goal thriller.

Central African Republic recovered well to overcome Uganda 1-0 in the subsequent match with Ralph Kottoy scoring the all-important goal towards the end of the first half.

Team News:

Since the Wednesday night match, Uganda Cranes players regrouped for the mandatory talk session to recollect the pieces together.

The team missed the Thursday session because of the heavy rains in Niger but will be expected to train on Friday night.

Team captain and number goalkeeper Denis Onyango is expected to train with the team on Friday for the very first time.

Onyango reported late in Niger after delays in South Africa where he had to take part in the PSL Awards.

Head coach Sebastien Desabre has shown the urge for the team to play better.

From the basis of his interview, the Frenchman was disappointed by the result against Central African Republic.

“We played well but failed to score the created chances. It is disappointing” Desabre said after Wednesday’s match.

He is therefore expected to ring changes to the team that started against CAR when the Cranes take on Niger.

Players who missed the game as Onyango, Nico Wadada, Moses Opondo, Bevis Mugabi, Tadeo Lwanga, Muhammed Shaban are all expected to be given a run in on Saturday night.

Primarily, both countries are using the match to assemble the readiness of their respective team squads ahead of upcoming continental engagements.

This will be the 9th game for Uganda Cranes head coach Desabre since taking over the job on 27th December 2017.

Probable Uganda Cranes Line Up Vs Niger:

Denis Onyango (G.K), Nico Wakiro Wadada, Isaac Muleme, Bevis Mugabi, Murushid Jjuuko, Hassan Wasswa Mawanda, William Luwagga Kizito, Faruku Miya, Yunus Sentamu, Emmanuel Arnold Okwi, Allan Kateregga

Full pool of Uganda Cranes team in Niger:

Goalkeepers: Denis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa), Charles Lukwago (KCCA FC), Jamal Salim (El Merreikh, Sudan)

Defenders: Denis Iguma (Al Nabi Shayth, Lebanon), Nico Wadada (Vipers SC), Murushid Jjuko (Simba, Tanzania), Bevis Mugabi (Yeovil Town, England), Timothy Awanyi (KCCA FC), Isaac Muleme (Assiouty, Egypt)

Midfielders: Allan Kyambadde (SC Villa Jogoo), Joseph Ochaya (Lusaka Dynamos, Zambia), Hassan Wasswa (El Geish, Egypt), Khalid Aucho (East Bengal, India), Taddeo Lwanga (Vipers SC), William Kizito Luwagga (CMS Politehnica Lasi, Romania), Milton Karisa (Vipers SC), Allan Kateregga (Cape Town, South Africa), Faruku Miya (Sabail, Azerbaijan on loan from Standard Liege, Belgium), Moses Opondo (Vendsyssel, Denmark)

Forwards: Emmanuel Okwi ( Simba, Tanzania), Yunus Sentamu ( Tirana, Albania), Edrisa Lubega ( Floridsdorfer AC, Austria), Mohammed Shaban( KCCA)

Uganda Cranes Games under Desabre:

• 30th May 2018: Central African Republic 1-0 Uganda (International Friendly)
• 27th March 2018: Uganda Cranes 0-0 Malawi (International Friendly Match)
• 24th March 2018: Uganda Cranes 3-1 Sao Tome and Principe (International Friendly Match)
• 22nd January 2018: Uganda Cranes 0-0 Ivory Coast (CHAN 2018)
• 18th January 2018: Uganda Cranes 0-1 Namibia (CHAN 2018)
• 14th January 2018: Zambia 3-1 Uganda (CHAN 2018)
• 10th January 2018: Uganda Cranes 0-1 Congo (International Friendly Match)
• 6th January 2018: Uganda Cranes 1-1 Guinea (International Friendly Match)