Magogo pulls Cranes Out Of 2017 AFCON, Eyes 2019 tourney!
Moses Magogo Uganda will need to take the long and painful route and plan better if the national team is ever going to qualify for Afcon. PHOTO/John Batanudde
The manner in which the Cranes exited from the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers has forced the national team to be cautious in the upcoming 2016 CHAN, AFCON 2017 qualifiers and finals or CECAFA Championships again.The heartbreak of their final qualifier loss to in Morocco is one they would want to put behind them as soon as possible.The federation has earmarked the upcoming tourneys as just warm up for the 2019 AFCON in Cameroon!
Magogo said there are no short cuts to Afcon adding that, the country has to follow some steps to get there.
He said Uganda will need to take the long and painful route and plan better if the national team is ever going to qualify for Afcon. Uganda last qualified for Afcon in 1978. According to Magogo, Ugandan fans want quickly results and imagine the national team will qualify easily for this competitive sport.
He said besides the few professionals and limited resources, they have managed to come close to qualification, which is a positive step given the fact that so the teams they have played like Ghana, Togo and Guinea are far ahead in several aspects.
But memories of how they beat and drew with Ghana especially Savio Kabugo’s goal at Namboole will be cherished and used to spur the team on to greater heights.
Cranes can only go forward and build on these performances, said Cranes coach Micho Sredojevic after after their 2015 Afcon dreams ended with a 2-0 defeat to Guinea in Casablanca.
He must be itching to take on the 2019 AFCON finals that will be held by the West African nation of Cameroon.
“There’s still a lot of work to do but strides have been made and we can match anyone. It teaches us never to give up. We should not give up. I’m convinced that the future of Ugandan football is bright,” the Serb told Red Pepper Online edition in an exclusive interview.
Micho added: “I hope when we finally qualify we shall remember when the seeds of this achievement for 37 million patriotic Ugandans were planted.
“We have seen the likes of Kabugo, Farouq Miya, Khalid Aucho all come through this campaign and clearly the future looks good.”
The disappointing end of the campaign has also seen deep scrutiny over whether Serbian is still the right man for the job.
His two-year contract runs out next May. He, together with Moses Magogo, today (Wednesday) addressed the media on the yet again failed Nations Cup campaign.
FUFA has actually come up with a new project tagged ‘Cameroon 2019’.Moses Magogo, FUFA president and according to Kawowo sports he remarked; “We have started the journey afresh and today, I declare the new project – Cameroon 2019. The tournaments in between will be used as preparations for our intended goal.
FUFA has, to this cause, organized the first National Football workshop meant to get ideas of how best the nation will get along the road. The workshop will be held on the 24th – 25th of January 2015 in Kampala.
Special invitations have been sent to several African nations – Ghana, Cape Verde and a South American nation – Costa Rica.
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