Uganda Cranes regional Tours 2018:
- Saturday, 21st July
- Kitara Region Select Vs Uganda Cranes
- At Nyakasanga play-ground (4 PM)
Uganda Hippos (national U-20 team) and newly signed Mbarara City Football Club midfielder Ivan Eyam has graduated to the national senior team, Uganda Cranes.
The former Kataka play maker is expected to don the national team jersey (on the senior side) when Uganda Cranes travel to Kitara region on Friday for the regional tour match at the Nyakasanga play ground on the following day.
Eyam who has been part of the team for the recent CAF U-20 qualifiers is among the 20 man team summoned by the technical team to prepare for the game.
There are two goalkeepers Saidi Keni and Isma Watenga with seven defenders and midfielders as well as four forward players.
Musitafa Mujuzi (Proline FC), Bashir Asiku (Vipers SC), Geoffrey Wasswa (Vipers SC), Joseph Nsubuga (SC Villa Jogoo), Paul Patrick Mbowa (URA FC), Aggrey Madoi (Vipers SC) and Yayo Kato Lutimba (Vipers SC) are the natural defenders on the team.
Fresh from the 2018 CECAFA Kagame cup, Vipers midfielder and newly named captain Tadeo Lwanga leads the cast of blocking players in the middle of the pack.
The others are Nicholas Kasozi (SC Villa Jogoo), Ivan Eyam (Mbarara City), Moses Waiswa Ndhondi (Vipers SC), Abraham Ndugwa (Vipers), Milton Karisa (Vipers SC), and the robust Allan Kyambadde (SC Villa Jogoo).
The forward players on the side include SC Villa Jogoo’s Martin Kizza, Joel Madondo (Kirinya-Jinja SS), Nelson Senkatuka (Bright Stars FC) and Daniel Muzeyi Sserunkuma (Vipers SC).
Since KCCA is out of the country for the CAF Champions league engagement against Tunisian giants Esperance, none of their players has been summoned.
The regional tour games serve a couple of purposes ranging from taking the national team brand closer to the people in their respective localities and preparing the team for future engagements.
With Uganda Cranes set to face old time rivals Tanzania in the AFCON 2019 qualifiers, this is a big test for the technical team led by Frenchman Sebastien Desabre, his assistants Mathias “Salongo” Lule and Fred Kajoba (goalkeeping coach) to assess the locally based legion early enough.
“The twenty players summoned will start training on Wednesday evening at the StarTimes Stadium, Lugogo. The team will travel to Kasese on Friday morning” confirmed FUFA on their official web portal.
The tours were started over three years ago by the national team beer partner Nile Special until telecommunications giants Airtel Uganda Limited joined hands.
Meanwhile, a special ball to be used for these tour matches has been unveiled by the beer company.
The Full Team Summoned:
- Goalkeepers: Saidi Keni (Proline FC), Isma Watenga (Vipers Sc)
- Defenders: Musitafa Mujuzi (Proline FC), Bashir Asiku (Vipers SC), Geoffrey Wasswa (Vipers SC), Joseph Nsubuga (SC Villa Jogoo), Paul Patrick Mbowa (URA FC), Aggrey Madoi (Vipers SC), Yayo Kato Lutimba (Vipers SC)
- Midfielders: Tadeo Lwanga (Vipers SC), Nicholas Kasozi (SC Villa Jogoo), Ivan Eyam (Mbarara City), Moses Waiswa Ndhondi (Vipers SC), Abraham Ndugwa (Vipers), Milton Karisa (Vipers SC), Allan Kyambadde (SC Villa Jogoo)
- Forwards: Martin Kizza (SC Villa Jogoo), Joel Madondo (Kirinya-Jinja SS), Nelson Senkatuka (Bright Stars FC) and Daniel Muzeyi Sserunkuma (Vipers SC)
