The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda Cubs will this afternoon battle Kenya in the on-going Zonal Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) U-17 qualifiers in Rubavu, Rwanda.
Victory for the Cubs will see them book a place in the semi-final stage.
Uganda Cubs coach Hamzah Lutalo told Uganda Radio Network on a phone interview on Tuesday night that they will not take Kenya for granted. “We know what to do because we watched them play in the 2-2 draw against Ethiopia,” added the coach.
The Zonal qualifiers kicked-off on Sunday with six teams. But before the start of the tournament the South Sudan team was disqualified after four players failed the Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests.
In the opening match Ethiopia settled for a 2-2 draw against Kenya, before Tanzania humbled hosts Rwanda 3-1 on Monday.
The Ugandan coach told URN that they are determined to retain this trophy that the team won in 2018 in Tanzania. “We are the defending champions and we are determined to retain this trophy. But we need to start well against Kenya,” added the coach.
In their last meeting during the Afcon U-17 qualifiers in 2018, Uganda defeated Kenya 3-1 in the tournament played in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
According to the tournament rules all players and officials are being tested for the Coronavirus (COVID-19) after every 48-hours. “We cannot take changes and must adhere to the Confederation of African Football rules,” Auka Gecheo, the Executive Director of the Council of East and central African Football (Cecafa) told URN.
The best two teams in the competition will qualify to represent the region at the Afcon U-17 to take place in March next year in Morocco.
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