{"id":436512,"date":"2011-06-06T05:40:46","date_gmt":"2011-06-06T05:40:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/06\/06\/cranes-seek-maximum-points-against-bissau\/"},"modified":"2011-06-06T05:40:46","modified_gmt":"2011-06-06T05:40:46","slug":"cranes-seek-maximum-points-against-bissau","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/06\/06\/cranes-seek-maximum-points-against-bissau\/","title":{"rendered":"Cranes Seek Maximum Points Against Bissau"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Stephen Ouma<\/p>\n

3 June 2011<\/p>\n

\n

Kampala And Afp \u2014 Uganda Cranes will be aiming at collecting maximum points when they host Guinea Bissau today in the 2011 Africa Nations Cup Group ‘J’ qualifier at Kampala’s Nelson Mandela National Stadium, Namboole.<\/p>\n

The Cranes, who lead the group on seven points, must win the tie to enhance chances of qualifying for the continental football finals.<\/p>\n

Kenya’s Harambee Stars are away to Angola in Luanda tomorrow in another group game.<\/p>\n

Uganda will host Kenya in Kampala late October in what could be the real “final” of the group qualifiers.<\/p>\n

For the last two months, the talk of town in Kampala has been the “Cranes we go we win,” a promotional campaign spearheaded by telecommunications company, MTN Uganda.<\/p>\n

A helicopter hired by MTN mounted with loudspeakers hovered over Kampala city on Thursday afternoon announcing the match and calling on Ugandans to turn up in big numbers.<\/p>\n

Professional players<\/strong><\/p>\n

However, the clash will be one of the most expensive matches with spectators having to part with an equivalent of Sh550 for cheapest ticket.<\/p>\n

Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) officials have flown in all professional players to bolster a formidable national side that must defeat Guinea.<\/p>\n

Turkey-based defender Hassan Wasswa and the South Africa-based pair of Denis Onyango and Geoffrey Sserunkuuma arrived in Kampala in high spirits for their national team.Scottish side Hearts’ star, David Obua, who scored the solitary goal away against Guinea Bissau in first leg, is in top form.<\/p>\n

Other professionals defender Andrew Mwesigwa (Ordabasy, Kazakhastan), strikers Joseph Kabagambe, Vincent Isaac Isinde (St. George, Ethiopia) and Geoffrey Massa are all fit.<\/p>\n

Uganda Cranes midfielder Musa Mudde, who plays professional football for Kenyan giants Sofapaka, was expected in Kampala yesterday after his side played a Confederations Cup tie in Tunisia.<\/p>\n

The other professionals assembled for national duty are defender Nestroy Kizito (Partizan Belgrade, Serbia), Henry Kalungi (Richmond, USA), Vincent Kayizzi, Tony Mawejje and Abel Dhaira who is based in Iceland.<\/p>\n

Uganda Cranes Scottish tactician Bobby Williamson said he has instructed his boys not to take Guinea Bissau for granted as they are capable of turning tables against the home side in its own backyard.<\/p>\n

“I have instructed the boys to go into attack and score goals that will ensure we win the match,” he said.<\/p>\n

The tactician said the same way Uganda regards Kenya as their determinant is the same way Kenya considers the clash against Uganda their hurdle to qualification.<\/p>\n

He said: “We must prepare adequately and assembly a formidable side against Kenya’s Harambe Stars.”<\/p>\n

Uganda started their campaign by walloping Angola 3-0 in Kampala, drew 0-0 against Kenya in Nairobi before defeating Guinea 1 – 0 in Bissau.<\/p>\n

The Cranes lead Group ‘J’ on seven points, Kenya is second on four points while Angola and Guinea Bissau have three points each.<\/p>\n

The last time Uganda played in the Africa Nations Cup was in 1978 losing 2- 0 to Ghana Black Stars in the finals played in Accra. Since then the country has never come close to qualifying save for 1993 when defender Adam Semugabi fluffed a last minute penalty against Nigeria Super Eagle in Kampala that should have given them the ticket.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, record seven-time champions Egypt face a fight for survival this weekend while Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal could qualify for the 2012 tournament.<\/p>\n

Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien, injured during the last Cup of Nations, is set to make his first appearance for Ghana in 18 months when Congo tackle the Group ‘I’ leaders in Accra.<\/p>\n

Desperate to avenge loss<\/strong><\/p>\n

But 15 goals for West Bromwich Albion last season cannot secure Peter Odemwingie a place in the Nigeria squad for a Group ‘B’ duel in Ethiopia with coach Samson Siasia axing him for leaving a previous camp without permission.<\/p>\n

Bottom-of-the-table Egypt host Group ‘G’ pacesetters South Africa in Cairo desperate to avenge a 1-0 loss in Johannesburg three months ago and avoid the humiliation of becoming the first title holders not to reach the finals.<\/p>\n

Cote d’Ivoire will join co-hosts Gabon and Equatorial Guinea and Botswana as qualifiers for the biennial African football showcase if they collect maximum points from a Group ‘H’ fixture in Benin and Rwanda do not win away to Burundi.<\/p>\n

Senegal, who missed the last two tournaments after finishing fourth in 2006, will top the final Group ‘E’ table if they triumph in Cameroon and Mauritius prevent Democratic Republic of Congo winning on the Indian Ocean island.<\/p>\n

A Maghreb showdown between Morocco and Algeria in Marrakech is another highlight of a 21-fixture schedule divided between today and tomorrow as the six-round qualifying competition reaches the fourth series.<\/p>\n

Egypt have just one point from a possible nine after coming from behind to draw 1-1 with Sierra Leone in Cairo and losing in Niger and South Africa and assistant coach Shawky Gharib acknowledges it is win-or-bust now.<\/p>\n

“It is a decisive match for the players and the technical staff. We have won the last three tournaments and have to win tomorrow. The game will be totally different from Johannesburg.”<\/p>\n

The Pharaohs did not want to play in Johannesburg last March because the largely local-based squad had been starved of competitive practice after domestic football was suspended due to the anti-Hosni Mubarak uprising.<\/p>\n

But South Africa insisted the fixture be played and, after being lucky several times not to fall behind, snatched a stoppage-time victory through a clinical Katlego Mphela finish.<\/p>\n

“Egypt are going to throw everything at us. They will not play with three centre-backs this time, opting instead for more midfielders and strikers,” admitted Bafana Bafana (The Boys) coach Pitso Mosimane.<\/p>\n

Injuries deplete both teams with Egypt lacking midfielders Mohamed Shawky and Mohamed Aboutreika and striker Amr Zaki while South Africa must do without centre-back Bongani Khumalo and midfielder Thanduyise Khuboni.<\/p>\n

Senegal snatched victory over four-time champions Cameroon in similar fashion to South Africa with West Ham striker Demba Ba scoring the lone goal deep in stoppage time.<\/p>\n

“I just love this team. The guys are good and are beginning to behave like brothers.<\/p>\n

“We are going to do everything possible to stay top and qualify as early as possible,” promised Ba who misses the Yaounde game through injury.<\/p>\n

Coach Amara Traore has called up fullbacks Lamine Gassama and Cheikh Mbengue and midfielder Kara Mbodj for the first time and can choose his strike force from a formidable trio of Papiss Cisse, Mamadou Niang and Moussa Sow.<\/p>\n

Burden of expectation<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cameroon chose Alex Song for the first time since a disastrous 2010 World Cup campaign only for the Arsenal midfielder to be ruled out by injury and the burden of expectation falls, as always, on star striker Samuel Eto’o.<\/p>\n

Cote d’Ivoire will look to Chelsea pair Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou for goals in Cotonou while Benin rely heavily on midfielder Stephane Sessegnon and striker Razack Omotoyossi.<\/p>\n

Morocco welcome back Youssouf Hadji although injury rules Mounir al-Hamdoui as they try to turn the tables on neighbours Algeria in Marrakech having lost 1-0 when they clashed in Group ‘D’ last March.<\/p>\n

Experienced Algeria centre-backs Antar Yahia and Madjid Bougherra can expect to be busy protecting goalkeeper Mbolhi Rais while leading domestic scorer Hilal Soudani has been included among the strikers.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\nMore News on allAfrica.com<\/strong><\/legend>\n<\/fieldset>\n

AllAfrica – All the Time<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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\nCranes Seek Maximum Points Against Bissau<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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