Geoffrey Massa will have more responsibilities added to his role of finding the Uganda Cranes goals when he wears the captain’s arm band in the away game against Togo on Wednesday.
Massa was named captain by Cranes coach Micho Sredojevic after captain Andy Mwesigwa accumulated two yellow cards, meaning he misses the crucial Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers tie against Emmanuel Adebayor’s side that erased Cranes’ unbeaten 10 year record at Namboole with a 0-1 win on Saturday.
Kenya’s Tusker FC defender Martin Kiiza will replace Mwesigwa in the defensive role.
According to Cranes media manager Fred Katende Malibu, The Cranes depart this evening aboard Ethiopian Airlines and they will spend the night in Addis Ababa, before connecting to Lome.
The Cranes have not qualified for Afcon in 36 years and this seemed like the best chance, having held Ghana to a 1-1 draw away in Accra and beating Guinea 2-0 in Namboole. The loss to Togo who were yet to win a game blew the race wide open. Uganda currently lies in second place with four points behind Ghana that has five. Guinea also has four points and Togo has three. The top two teams in each group with best placed third out of all the groups will qualify for the continental soccer showpiece in Morocco, next year.
The travelling squad.
Goalkeepers: Dennis Onyango and Robert Odongkara.
Defenders: Dennis Iguma, Godfrey Walusimbi, Savio Kabugo, Isaac Isinde, Martin Kiiza and Murushid Jjuuko.
Midfielders: Tonny Mawejje, Aucho Khalid, Geoffrey Baba Kizito, Luwagga Kizito and Moses Oloya.
Strikers: Geoffrey Massa (Captain), Dan Sserunkuma, Yunus Sentamu and Brian Umony.
Good luck to our boys.