Massa, Luwagga come of age in Uganda Cranes win

NAMBOOLE

Uganda Cranes forward Geoffrey Massa deservedly owned the headlines after a man of the match performance with two fine goals but not far behind him was playmaker Luwagga Kizito, who ran Guinea rugged all night at the Namboole Stadium.

Ugandan football has for years cried out loud for a midfielder capable of showing his markers a clean pair of heels before threading an incisive, decisive ball to his striker.

In Luwagga, Cranes just may have discovered that player. The mazy run from inside his half past hapless Guinean defenders Sankoh Baissama and Sory Bangoura to set up Massa's second strike was the kind of goal seldom witnessed in Uganda Cranes matches.

If that assist for Uganda's decisive goal was magnificent, it paled in comparison to the second half moment when Khalid Aucho's missed opportunity denied Luwagga what would have been a magnificent assist.

Luwagga left Bangoura for dead with a fine turn before hypnotising Fode Camara and teeing the most inviting of balls for Aucho. An expectant Namboole Stadium rose eager to celebrate their third goal, only for Aucho's drive to miss the target by inches after a brave block from Camara.

EQUALLED RECORD

Like he did in Kumasi during Uganda's 1-1 all-draw against Ghana on Saturday, Luwagga showed willingness to take on marker after marker.

Massa, who as expected started ahead of Brian Umony, reported for duty at Namboole Tuesday evening, but at the end of the match, the Guineans wished he had instead stayed in South Africa with his club, Pretoria University.

The two goals saw Massa joint Uganda's all-time top scorer David Obua in the African Cup of Nations/World Cup qualifiers with 11 goals to his name as the East African nation eyes to qualify for their first African Cup of Nations finals in 37 years.

Uganda and Ghana, who edged Togo 3-2, are now level on four points, with the Cranes topping Group E of the 2015 Nations Cup qualifiers on goal difference. Guinea have three while Togo on zero.