Micho rues red, pats players in defeat

Cranes coach Micho Sredojevic was understandably upset by the result but was satisfied with his team’s effort as 10-man Uganda went down fighting in the 1-0 defeat to Senegal yesterday.

Cranes players and officials in prayers after the 1-0 defeat to Senegal

Sadio Dame’s 84th minute goal at Stade de Marrakech on Saturday was enough to send Senegal to the playoffs of the 2014 World Cup qualification.

But Uganda and Micho’s game plan was altered by left back Godfrey Walusimbi, who got marching orders from South African referee Daniel Bennet for a double footed lunge on a Senegalese player.

“We have played a very good team,”Micho said in Marrakech, Morocco’s fourth biggest city, adding, “We have come without any reservations knowing that we need to win.

“In the first half there is no quality open chance created but three moments decided this game. The first moment was the red card which in my opinion was not supposed to be but I respect the decision of the referee.

“Then we had to make adjustments to bring Majwega back, our game plan was to continue going the way we were going and perhaps score a goal, and I think if we had been 11 players this story could have been totally different.”

Micho added: “Playing with 10 players for over 50 minutes but we have been very courageous, the boys played very well, we created good chances but for me the chance that could have influenced the match in totally different direction was the one which Hamis Kiiza should have placed the goalkeeper instead of shooting at him.

“And the third moment is the lapse of concentration and conceding the goal, when they scored it was hard to come back against 11 players.”