AFCON 2019: Our Goal is to Go Past the Group Stage-Denis Onyango

By Thomas Odongo

CAIRO - Uganda National men’s football team – Uganda Cranes will kick off their AFCON (Africa Cup of Nations) 2019 campaign on Saturday against neighbors Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) at the Cairo International Stadium in Egypt.

However, the date for the official kick-off is Friday, June 21, 2019, with hosts Egypt who are seeded in Pool A alongside Uganda and DR Congo taking on Zimbabwe late in the evening.

With Uganda playing the second game of Group A, they will be well aware of the pacesetters in their group after the Egypt and Zimbabwe match is played. With Egypt already earmarked as favorites due to home advantage and also harboring a huge cast of great stars like Liverpool forward Mohammad Salah, Uganda now has to make sure they ‘get something’ out of DR Congo meet before the Egypt clash comes calling.

For Uganda Cranes Captain and first choice goalkeeper; Denis Onyango, if his side is to reach past the group stage level, teamwork should be embraced. “We shall need to work as a complete team. To get as far as we can, we need to get the best use of team quality. Football is a team sport. You cannot win a game when you are playing individual football,” Onyango told the CAF (Confederation of African Football) accredited media in Egypt recently.
“Against DR Congo, we need that first victory because it always pushes us further. Our goal is to go past the group stage,” he added.

Meanwhile, Cranes tactician Sebastien Desabre believes that the drills his team underwent during the build-up to the tournament have molded his charges to near perfection and now they are good to go.

“The Uganda Cranes team is ready to compete at the 2019 AFCON finals in Egypt. The players are ready to give the maximum. We need good organization, cohesion, and quality in the team, basing on values of working together. Each player has a task to play together. As a complete unit, we shall achieve a lot. The spirit is good enough,’ Desabre told the FUFA (Federation of Uganda Football Associations) website.

Uganda Cranes will hold their last training session on Friday before facing DR Congo the next day. The team is accommodated at Radisson Blu Hotel in Cairo.