AFCON 2017: Uganda's date with destiny

Published on: 17 January 2017

Nearly four decades on from their last appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations, Uganda return to the tournament on Tuesday with coach Milutin Sredojevic describing a date with 2015 runners-up Ghana as their destiny.

The only side from eastern Africa at the tournament in Gabon, the Cranes are tasting the Cup of Nations for the first time since 1978, before any of their current squad were born.

Back then, they lost 2-0 to hosts Ghana in the final, and 39 years later the same opponents await them in their Group D opener in Port-Gentil at 1600 GMT.

"I feel honoured, pleased and privileged to be here. We have worked very hard in Uganda to make this happen. Thirty-plus million people have dreamt to have us here," said the Serbian Sredojevic, better known by his nickname "Micho" and who first began coaching in Uganda in 2001.

"So many things you can escape but destiny you cannot -- the last game of Uganda was in the final of the 1978 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana. Our first match back after 39 years is against Ghana so there is that symbolic aspect."

Uganda cannot compete with Ghana's record at the Cup of Nations but they took four points off the Black Stars in their ultimately unsuccessful bid to qualify for the 2015 Cup of Nations and also held them to a 0-0 draw in Tamale in World Cup qualifying last October.

Ghana coach Avram Grant has admitted the pressure is on his team as they look to win a fifth Cup of Nations title, and a first since 1982.

The Israeli almost led them to glory two years ago, but they lost on penalties to the Ivory Coast in the final in Equatorial Guinea.

The majority of the 2015 side remains, including skipper Asamoah Gyan, who is preparing for his sixth Cup of Nations.

"No disrespect to the Uganda team, but everybody knows statistically we are ahead of them," said Gyan on Monday.

"If they beat Ghana it's big news for them. If we beat them, people might say it's a normal thing."

Egypt return

The match will be the first of two on Tuesday at the new, incongruous-looking stadium with 20,000 seats in scrubland to the south of Port-Gentil, the home of Gabon's oil industry.

Egypt and Mali meet at 1900 GMT with the Egyptians making their return after failing to qualify for any of the last three tournaments, having won three in a row between 2006 and 2010.

The record seven-time champions, they are now coached by Hector Cuper and skippered by veteran goalkeeper Essam El Hadary, who celebrated his 44th birthday on Sunday.

He will become the oldest player ever to appear at the Cup of Nations if selected, beating the previous mark of 39 years set by compatriot Hossam Hassan a decade ago.

"For Egypt it means a lot for us to be back after we missed the past three editions," said El Hadary.

"We are here to compete again and Egyptians are looking forward to winning an eighth title."

The goalkeeper has won the Cup of Nations four times before, including in 1998, when his current team-mate Ramadan Sobhi was only a year old.

Egypt may be an African superpower, but they are likely to have the crowd against them on Tuesday.

A large Malian community in Port-Gentil will give their team enthusiastic backing as Alain Giresse's side look to cause an upset.

Gabon is a happy hunting ground for Giresse, who coached their national team with some success for four years and then took Mali to the semi-finals of the last Cup of Nations to be held in the country in 2012.

Giresse has fitness concerns over Monaco midfielder Adama Traore and goalkeeper Soumaila Diakite.

Source: AFP

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