Following the recent unexceptional performances by the Ugandan national teams in last December’s COSAFA and CECAFA tournaments, the senior team, Uganda Cranes have an opportunity to impress as they prepare to take part in a fourth successive Chan tournament in Morocco. The team jetted out of the country yesterday for the tournament which is slated for January 12 to February 4. Uganda is pooled in Group B with Namibia, Ivory Coast and Zambia
And in his first big assignment newly named Cranes head coach Sebastien Desabre announced a squad of 25, which will be trimmed down to the final 23 with the Frenchman embarking on a journey to either match or even surpass his predecessor Micho Multin.
Desabre was until yesterday conducting the team’s residential camp trainings at the African Bible University in Lubowa for a week now, and when he wielded his axe, Proline’s Daniel Isiagi and SC Villa midfielder Godfrey Lwesibawa were his first casualties.
Desabre, who ahs vowed to produce attacking football can count on the talented Shaban Mohammed as the forward to shoulder the team’s march to success. He captained the Uganda Hippos (national U20s team) and led his teammates by example as he scored four goals to scoop the top scorer’s gong. The KCCA FC forward must now show his worth on the senior team. One other player to watch is Vipers’ SC’s Milton Kariisa who has been quietly consistent in his games for the senior side. The Cranes’ warm-up games against Congo Brazaville and Cameroon respectively will show how much Desabre has gone in undoing the team’s defensive mindset.
Goalkeepers: Isma Watenga (Vipers SC), Benjamin Ochan (KCCA FC), Saidi Keni (Proline FC)
Defenders: Nico Wakiro Wadada (Vipers SC), Joseph Nsubuga (SC Villa), Isaac Muleme (KCCA FC), Aggrey Madoi (Police FC), Timothy Dennis Awanyi (KCCA FC), Bernard Muwanga (SC Villa), Mujuzi Mustapha (Proline FC), Mustapha Kiiza (KCCA FC)
Midfielders: Tadeo Lwanga (Vipers SC), Tom Masiko (Vipers SC), Ibrahim Saddam Juma (KCCA FC), Muzamiru Mutyaba (KCCA FC), Milton Karisa (Vipers SC), Abubaker Kasule (Express FC), Allan Kyambadde (SC Villa), Paul Mucureezi (KCCA FC), Rahmat Senfuka (Police FC)
Forwards: Derrick Nsibambi (KCCA FC), Muhammad Shaban (KCCA FC), Nelson Senkatuka (Bright Stars FC)
Cranes Fixtures (Group B)
January 14 – Uganda vs Zambia
January 18 – Uganda vs Namibia
January 22 – Uganda vs Ivory Coast
*Games in Marrakech