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Uganda Cranes players during training today ahead of Niger Clash tomorrow
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Sports Desk
Co-hosts Uganda Cranes will face Guinea in their second Group C encounter at Namboole Stadium tomorrow, Friday, with high hopes and determination to revive their chances of progressing past the group stage for the first time in history. Uganda made a poor start to the CHAN championship, which is being hosted jointly by three East African countries for the first time. The Cranes suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of a strong Algeria side on Monday. To qualify, they now need to secure wins in their upcoming fixtures against Guinea, Niger, and South Africa.
Uganda Cranes players during training today ahead of Niger clash tomorrow
Head coach Morley Byekwaso expressed optimism ahead of the crucial clash, as he and defender Rodgers Torach addressed the media during the mandatory pre-match press conference today. “We lost the first match — and losing happens — but what matters is how you come back. That is our focus now,” said Byekwaso.
Cranes Coach Morley Byekwaso
While Uganda faces the task of reviving their campaign and uplifting the morale of their supporters — both those in attendance at Namboole and those watching from home — Guinea already have three points after a narrow 1-0 victory over Niger in their opening match.
Uganda Cranes players during training today ahead of Niger clash tomorrow
The Uganda vs Guinea match will be preceded by a highly anticipated clash between two strong sides — Algeria and South Africa. Algeria will be looking to extend their lead in the group, while South Africa will be playing their opening match of the tournament.
Despite Uganda’s slow start, their fellow co-hosts Kenya and Tanzania are enjoying early success. Tanzania edged Mauritania 1-0 yesterday, making it two wins in two matches following their 2-0 opening victory against Burkina Faso. Meanwhile, Kenya kicked off their campaign with a 1-0 win over former champions DR Congo, and were already 1-1 in their second game today against Angola by the time of press.
This is the 8th edition of the CHAN championship, and Uganda Cranes have participated in six previous editions, but have never progressed beyond the group stage.
DR Congo (2009, 2016) and Morocco (2018, 2020) have each won the tournament twice. Tunisia (2011) and Libya (2014) have also lifted the trophy, while Senegal are the defending champions, having beaten Algeria 5-4 on penalties in the 2022 final held in Algiers, Algeria.
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