If the results of their first leg against Taifa Stars in Dar es Salaam last weekend have any predictive power, Uganda Cranes will easily advance to the next stage of the 2014 African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifier after the second leg next weekend.
Kim Poulsen
Uganda Cranes took care of business a week ago, beating Stars 0-1 in an explosive first leg encounter at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam. Striker Denis Iguma scored the lone goal in the second half as Taifa Stars were below par and were the second best.
They deservedly lost the match as the visitors were tactically good and frustrated Stars movements from the kick off. The results give Cranes an advantage going to the second leg.
However, Taifa Stars boss Kim Poulsen is confident, though, that his charges will put up a fight, insisting that they won’t let up until the match concludes at Namboole (Mandela) Stadium in Kampala, Uganda.
With the team reported in “high spirits” and “perfect fitness,” Poulsen said they will leave no stone unturned in their quest for victory in the CHAN qualifier against the Cranes. To keep players in an upbeat mood, the team’s main sponsor — the Tanzania Breweries Limited (TBL) through its flagship, Kilimanjaro Premium Lager — organised a dinner for the players and officials on Thursday night here.
“It is a tall order but we believe that Stars players have what it takes to stun the Cranes at their own field,” said TBL Lake Zone Manager, Malaki Sitaki. He said after very rigorous training sessions in Mwanza, which has a similar weather condition to that of Kampala, the Stars are expected to destroy the Cranes.
On his part, the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) Director of Competitions, Saad Kawemba, said it was not all over for Taifa Stars even after losing the first leg encounter at home, calling on the players to fight to the bitter end and turn around the score in Kampala.
It will be a tough encounter as Uganda Cranes will bear in mind that it was a similar fixture in 2008, when Taifa Stars used them as a ladder to the inaugural CHAN finals in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. CHAN is a tournament established by CAF to cater for domestic-based players who do not have exposure at international stage through their national teams.
Source Tanzania Daily News
