85 days to go: Count-down to Comoros match starts

September 3, 2016

Uganda vs Comoros

Uganda Cranes are not taking any chances ahead of their final Africa Cup of Nations qualifying game at home against Comoros.

Soccer governing body FUFA Wednesday outlined their plans, on and off the pitch, to help Cranes be in the right state of mind for the make-or-break tie at Mandela Stadium Namboole on September 3, 2016.

“We do not have enough time to prepare for the game against Comoros. We only have a few days left. We need to prepare the players well technically, tactically, mentally and physically” national coach Milutin Sredojevic Micho told the press Wednesday.

“We need maximum points, and that is our only focus,”  stressed Moses Magogo, Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) president.

“We have started immediate preparations for the game against Comoros and the details will be released soon. We are not into the mathematical lessons. We need maximum points in the next game” he added.

Magogo was however unhappy, saying that administrative pressure by National Council of Sports at this moment was not helpful.

Magogo said the football institution is committed fully to meeting the registration guidelines set by the National council of Sports (NCS).

“We are law abiding citizens but the position being sold by NCS that we don’t want to be controlled is incorrect. We need regulations that will benefit all sports federations. Deadlines will not help develop sports in the country. NCS needs to understand the concerns of FUFA and other Federations in this exercise’ said the FUFA President.

Magogo warned that if NCS does not wait until after the FUFA general assembly that will discuss issues raised in October, world soccer governing body FIFA will see this as interference, and trigger a ban on the federation.

He said FUFA had meanwhile wrote to NCS on 4th May, 2016 but a response is yet to be received on four key points highlighted in the letter.

Key points in the FUFA letter to NCS;

• FUFA will register with the NCS under the new regulations
• Notified NCS that there is a clash in opinion by Government Legal and FIFA Legal on the registration of FUFA under the Trustee Incorporation Act

• Request for a Letter to recommending FUFA to the Ministry of Lands to start the process of Trusteeship Incorporation

• FUFA requests for more time till October for the Constitution to be amended to match the NCS regulations.

Latest results, Uganda one of best 2nd placed teams

Uganda beat Bostwana 2-1 at the weekend to boost their chances of making it to the AFCON finals for the first time since 1978.

Luwagga put Uganda ahead in the 10th minute after a perfect ball from Tony Mawejje, before Botswana were allowed to equalize from a clear off-side position in the 50th.

But, the status did not stay the same for long as in popped Aucho, benefiting from a Denis Iguma, to stun the hosts a minute later.

Qualifiers for 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon after penultimate round of group matches at the weekend:
Guinea-Bissau (Group E winners)
Morocco (Group F winners)
Egypt (Group G winners)
Ghana (Group H winners)
Algeria (Group J winners)
Senegal (Group K winners)
Zimbabwe (Group L winners)
Cameroon (Group M winners)

**Mali  (Mathematically – Group C winners or one of best two runners-up)
Note: Gabon are automatic entrants as the host nation

Contenders for other six places:
Liberia, Tunisia, Togo (Group A)
Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic (Group B)
Burkina Faso, Uganda (Group D)
Ivory Coast (holders), Sierra Leone (Group I)
**Best two runners-up from 11 four-team groups

Groups in contention for two second best qualification places

Group A 
Liberia      5 3 1 1 10 4 10
Tunisia      5 3 1 1 12 2 10
Togo          5 2 2 1  6  4  8
Djibouti     5 0 0 5  1 19 0
Final games
Tunisia vs Liberia
Togo vs Djibouti

Group B
DR Congo     5 4 0 1 12 5 12
C.A.R.           5 3 1 1 8  7   10
Angola          5 1 1 3 6  7   4
Madagascar 5 0 2 3 4 11 2
Final game
DR Congs vs CAR

Group C
Mali            5 4 1 0 8 1 13
Benin         4 2 2 0 8 4 8
S.Sudan     5 1 0 4 3 11 3
E.Guinea   4 0 1 3 1 4 1
Final games
Benin vs Equatorial Guinea
Mali vs Benin

Group D
B. Faso       5 3 1 1 4 1 10
Uganda      5 3 1 1 5 2 10
Botswana   5 2 0 3 4 6 6
Comoros     5 1 0 4 2 6 3
Final games
Uganda vs Comoros
Burkina Faso V Botswana