Fans Show Love to Cranes As Bissau Coach Tips Nation to Qualify

Andrew Mwanguhya and Innocent Ndawula

5 June 2011

Like any coach would, Norton de Matos came with his Guinea Bissau team to Kampala expecting to win. And that’s what he will set out to do against the Uganda Cranes at Namboole yesterday. Nonetheless, the Portuguese strongly believes Uganda are favourites to automatically qualify for next year’s Nations Cup in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

Bobby Williamson’s Uganda went into the game leading Group J with seven points, and closest challengers Kenya on four. Guinea Bissau and Angola tie with three apiece.

The Cranes beat Guinea Bissau 1-0 in West Africa, the first win away in a qualifier since 2001.

“Uganda are very good side,” Norton, “They have a very good goalkeeper (Dennis Onyango), that guy who scored against us and Angola (David Obua), and a very stubborn man with rugged hair in the midfield (Tonny Mawejje).

“As for us, we are building a team for the future. You see most of these boys are young and this match (against Cranes) is just our seventh together.”

Norton added: “So we came here to play well and win. But you have to say if Uganda win, then they will qualify.

The way you (Uganda) beat Angola 3-0, then won at our place and drew with Kenya, you are clearly a very good side.” Norton had just taken his team through drills under the Namboole floodlights ahead of the Uganda game. Guinea Bissau trained for only 40 minutes, just five hours after a long flight from Lisbon, Portugal that set off on Wednesday.

They were expected in the country on Thursday but, without any clear communication with Fufa, they instead arrived on Friday afternoon, hours before the match.

Group winners, Group K runners-up, and best two runners-up in all other groups qualify for the finals.

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