Uganda In Preparation For AFCON 2019, Plays Friendly With Senegal

Uganda will prepare for their Afcon 2019 qualifying opener against Cape Verde with an international friendly match against Senegal in Dakar in June.

The Cranes, who are looking to return to Africa’s premier football competition two years from now in Cameroon, are keen on beginning their Afcon qualification campaign on a positive note.

“This will be a good test for us because we know that Cape Verde is a tough team and we shall be playing away from home so we have to be ready in all ways possible,” said Hassan Wasswa, Cranes assistant captain.

“Senegal is a very strong team with very many talented players who play in the best leagues in Europe so this friendly we help us to see where we are before playing the qualifier.”

Last year, Uganda did not win all their friendly games before Afcon 2017 or Fifa 2018 World Cup qualifiers, including a 2-0 loss to Zimbabwe in Harare in May before facing Botswana in a desperate search for three points that they eventually won 2-1.

Uganda shared the spoils with neighbours Kenya in a goalless draw at Namboole in August before facing Comoros, a game they won 1-0 to end a 39-year old wait for a place at the table of men at Afcon.

Two 1-0 losses to Togo (October) and Zambia (November) in Lome and Kampala respectively before Fifa 2018 World Cup qualifiers against Ghana and Congo in that order, meant that Uganda drew one and lost three friendly games in 2016.

Uganda coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic has in the past indicated that the focus in friendly games is to try out different options and try to correct mistakes, something that will be maintained in 2017.

The last time the two sides faced off was in a Fifa 2014 World Cup qualifier in the Moroccan city of Marrakech in September 2013, a match in which a Sadio Mane 84th minute goal was enough for the Teranga Lions to down a 10-man Cranes side.