Uganda will face the Pharaohs in the fourth round of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday, less than a week after beating them 1-0 in Kampala.
Speaking after a training session in preparation for the Cranes’ clash with Egypt, Uganda’s interim coach gave some comments on their upcoming match. “We respect the Egyptian national team as a whole. We don’t play against Mohamed Salah or Mohamed Elneny only, but their entire 11 man squad,” Basena told On Sport satellite channel.
“We respect all of the Egyptian players on an individual level, but we need to focus on the players as a group,” he added.
He went on to say that he sees their match against Egypt like a cup final. The implications of the match will be massive for both teams as the winner will go top of the group.
Ghana’s recent draw with Congo put the Black Stars on two points, placing them third in Group E. Uganda top the group with seven points, one above second-placed Egypt, while Congo are fourth with only one point.
The Uganda interim coach is also unfazed by the pressures that come with playing an away game at the Borg El-Arab Stadium saying, “we are aware of the strength of the Egyptian team when they play at home, but I don’t care about the pressure and I am only focused on the level of the players,” he added.
It is worth noting that the last two times that Egypt and Uganda faced off in Alexandria, Egypt were in 2002 and 1995, where Egypt won 3-1 and 6-0.
Ghana will play Congo again on Tuesday, while Egypt will host their Ugandan counterpart on Tuesday at 20:00 at the Borg El-Arab Stadium.