Kalema Lawrence
Uganda Cranes registered a first win in the Project 2019 campaign after beating Cape Verde 1 – 0 at the Estadio da Varzea in Praia on Sunday by a stunning goal from KCCA FC striker and reining Azam Uganda Premier league top scorer Geoffrey Sserunkuma.
This was the first group match for the Cranes in the qualifiers of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations finals to be in Cameroon.
The match was supposed to be played on Saturday while group mates Lesotho and Tanzania were also clashing but the second batch of Uganda Cranes players were delayed in departing from Dakar, Senegal, where the team was training from, prompting CAF to postpone the fixture by 24 hours.
Uganda Cranes coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic named three forwards spearheaded by KCCA forward Derrick
Nsibambi, Royal Excel Mouscron’s Faruku Miya and SC Villa striker Emmanuel Okwi while reigning African best footballer Denis Onyango started in goal with SC Villa’s Bernard Muwanga and Simba’s Murushid Jjuuko pairing in the central defence.
Nicholas Wadada and Godfrey Walusimbi started as the two full backs on the right and left respectively as Serbia-based midfielder Khalid Aucho and Hassan Wasswa Mawanda of Lebanese top flight side Njimeh were deployed as the two central midfielders.
Uganda Cranes is leading the Group L with 3 points, Tanzania having held in Dar es Salaam by Lesotho declared a point for both teams to scoop the second and third place respectively while Cape Verde fourth with no points.
The next round of the qualifiers will be played on 23rd March, 2018 as Uganda will be hosting Tanzania and Lesotho entertaining Cape Verde in Maseru.
