Battle for Rwanda 2016, Can the Cranes Accomplish the Mission in Khartoum?

Sunday October 25, 2015
Sudan Vs Uganda – Khartoum
@ 8pm (Cranes lead 2-0 from the first leg)
Uganda Cranes head coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic has warned his boys not to be complacent when they faceoff with hosts Sudan on Sunday in the second leg of the third round of the 2016 CHAN qualifiers.
According to Micho, if the Cranes fail to reach the finals, they make history as the laziest side.
The two CECAFA nations face off in the final leg of the final round of the competition’s qualifiers in Khartoum with the Cranes carrying a 2-0 goal advantage from the first leg played at Nakivubo a week ago.
Even if the hosts win by a 1-0 margin, the Cranes will still go through but Cranes Coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic has made it clear he is not going to Sudan to defend.
“We can’t go to Sudan and park the bus against an experienced side with the ability to change the results,” The Serbian who spent several years at Sudan’s Al Hilal said.
On paper, Micho named a side mainly composed of attacker minded players with five strikers and three offensive midfielders of the 18 man squad. Only Ivan Ntege is a defensive midfielder on the team.
However, although Micho has promised to attack the Falcons, their coach Ahmed Babiker warned the Cranes to expect a different opposition after a technical study of how the Cranes play.

‘’As the technical team, we have studied the Ugandan team in terms of strengths and weaknesses and we have made a full analysis and we are fully aware of what is required to bring it down’’. Babiker said.
Uganda beat Tanzania 3-0 away from home before drawing 1-1 at home in the previous round.

Of the 18 man squad, only Tony Odur, Isaac Muleme and Ivan Ntege have played before at the CHAN finals amongst the current squad members in Khartoum.
Sudan Falcons Team News:
Indeed the Falcons will look different as they have been boosted by the addition of El Merriekh players who missed the first leg in Kampala on to the team.
One of the four players included on the team is Bakri El Madina. The player, nominated for the African Player of the Year based on the continent award, if fielded will ask lots of questions to the Cranes backline that looked shaky in Kampala despite keeping a clean sheet thanks to James Alitho’s penalty save as well Sudan’s blunt attackers on the day.
Uganda Cranes Team News
The team landed safely in Khartoum on Friday evening and had a feel of the Khartoum stadium on Saturday evening.
There are no injury reports in camp so far but the visitors will miss the services of suspended defender Hassan Wasswa Dazo who was sent off in the first leg tie.
However Micho may decide to maintain a back four that finished the game when the Cranes went a man less by keeping Denis Okot at right back, as Ibrahim Kiyemba partners Shafik Bakaki in central defence with Joseph Ochaya at left back or drop Okot back to the bench and choose from Bernard Muwanga or Ibrahim Kizza to partner Shafiki Bakaki at the heart of defence.
As it was in Kampala, Ivan Ntege will be required to cover as much distance as possible to spoil the Falcons’ attacks as well as linking the Cranes defense to the attack.
Uganda Cranes Probable XI:
James Alitho (GK), Denis Okot, Ibrahim Kiyemba, Shafiki Bakaki, Joseph Ochaya, Ivan Ntege, Muzamiru Mutyaba, Farouk Miya ( C), Keziron Kizito, Ceaser Okhuti and Frank Kalanda
Substitutes:
Mathias Kigonya (GK), Isaac Muleme, Bernard Muwanga, Ibrahim Kizza, Tony Odur, Erisa Sekisambu and John Semazzi.

Vicent Kakooza