Weah Buoyant Ahead of Cranes’ Tie

Former World Footballer of the Year George Opong Weah has warned Uganda Cranes that his team is in Kampala to collect maximum points.

Weah who won the World Player of the Year award in 1995 while playing for Italian giants AC Milan, said the Lone Stars arrived early to avoid being delayed in the road traffic as it happened in 1999. When the two teams met at Nakivubo in 1999, Weah was delayed in the traffic from Entebbe and by the time he arrived at Nakivubo, the Cranes had already snatched a 1-0 victory.

Weah, who joined politics and contested for the Presidency in his country, is the the team’s Head of delegation.

He recounted the events of 1999 saying he was intentionally delayed and only reached the Stadium when the match was ending.

He explained that the team is in Uganda to collect maximum points after winning the first encounter 2-0 in Monrovia three months ago. Weah explained that he is not here to interfere with Coach Frank W. Nagbe’s work, but to motivate the players and give them the much needed morale.

On Wednesday, Ex-Cranes players including one of Uganda’s most prolific strikers, Issa Ssekatawa, met Weah at Nakivubo Stadium.

The Lone Stars are currently second in Group J with four points. Senegal who will face Angola in the other group game top the group with five points, while Uganda are bottom with two points after two draws and one loss. The winner of the group qualifies for the next round of 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

The Liberians are also desperate to have their skipper Anthony Laffour fit ahead of the crucial tie on Saturday. The Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder, who scored in the 2-0 win over the Cranes in March, is struggling to be fit for the tie despite some pain in the ankle which has disturbed him for a couple of weeks. The Lone Stars Media Officer Henry Boyd Flomo told our reporter that the medical team will have to take him through some drills on Saturday morning to see if he can make it for the match.