Uganda Cranes undone by stage fright in Cup of Nations opener

IN LIBREVILLE, GABON

In the game of football, victory hides a multitude of sins while defeat always requires an explanation.

Ghana coach Avram Grant, a highly unpopular figure in the West African nation, was sparred questions for the many mistakes the Black Stars committed solely because his team picked maximum points despite a lackadaisical second half on Tuesday evening. Ghana scored from the penalty spot to win this one 1-0.

Grant’s Cranes’ counterpart has just to explain why Uganda fell at the opening hurdle and what the team must do to negotiate the stunner Saturday test that is Egypt’s Pharaohs.

That is the nature of the game. “39 years we have not been here,” coach Milutin "Micho" Sredojevic observed.

“In the first half, we had an element of stage fright. And ultimately, we paid the price because of one expensive mistake that is hard to explain.”

Like Uganda, Egypt are still looking for their first goal at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations but unlike Cranes, they have a point in the bag and are joint-second with Mali in Group ‘D’.

Uganda are bottom of the table and defeat to the north Africans will be the end of business for Cranes in Gabon.

“We shall give 200 percent against Egypt and Mali,” the Serb has promised, admitting that there are deficiencies in attack where skipper Geoffrey Massa continues to struggle.

“We have to sit down with the technical team and find a tactical solution to become effective in front of goal.”

In fact, Uganda has now gone 212 minutes without a goal at the Africa Cup of Nations, the last strike coming via legendary Philip Omondi in the 1978 Afcon semi-final against Nigeria.

“Football is about putting the ball in the back of the net,” Micho concedes.

“I’m proud of the effort of my team but we will not look into individual mistakes.

“We will focus on the whole team.”

Uganda’s second half performance was a positive for the team who must play to the best of their abilities to overcome a team that has historically had it easy against the Cranes.

In 17 matches, the Cranes have beaten Egypt only once, and that was in 1965.

There are three draws and 13 defeats.

Micho is convinced the team has now been ‘awakened to the demands of the stage’ and will take on Egypt having managed 90 minutes of Afcon under their belt.

Micho will play a different line-up against Egypt with midfielder Khalid Aucho and centre back Murushid Juuko returning from suspension.

It remains to be seen which pair will start in central defence given that Hassan Wasswa was flawless on Tuesday night. Juuko and Isaac Isinde, the latter Tuesday’s villain, careless in the box leading to Ghana’s penalty scored by Andre Ayew, was the first choice pairing in the Afcon qualifiers.

Saturday’s other Group ‘D’ match will be Ghana against Mali in what should be an intriguing showdown.