supersport.com
Uganda coach Micho Sredojevic believes Ivory Coast will be too much for Cranes conquerors, Senegal after the two African football giants fell into each other’s paths in Monday’s World Cup draw.
The Serb tactician also says Ghana-Egypt is the tie of the round and that it will be “very close” to call.
Micho tells SuperSport.com that all the 10 teams in the round are deserving and expects what he called “exciting and very competitive football” on October 11-15 and November 15-19.
“It is a chance for Senegal to revenge against Ivory Coast for ejecting them in 2013 Africa Cup qualifiers,” said Micho.
Ivory Coast were cruising 2-0 with a quarter of the game to play in Dakar when crowd violence erupted, forcing a Fifa ban on Senegal home games.
“But in the same moment,” Micho added, “With all due respect to Senegal, Ivory Coast are the favourites.
“They have better individual players and have become better and better over the years. It will not be east but Ivory Coast, I think, will take it.”
He added: “And when you look at Ethiopia-Nigeria, it is an interesting one. I have worked in Ethiopia for five years and I know they have been improving greatly and play some of the best football in Africa now.
“But Nigeria are African champions. I think I would have Nigeria among the top five teams to qualify. They are more playable but it will not be easy for them.”
Micho, 44, painfully watched 10-man Uganda lose 1-0 to Senegal and believes, maybe, things could have been different had Godfrey Walusimbi not been sent off in the first half in Marrakech.
But he insists the heartbreak is only motivation for better future displays and tonic to reduce the gap on the likes of Ghana and Egypt, who he says are the tie of the round.
“Ghana has the experience of playing at the World Cup while Egypt have been growing from strength to strength after missing the last two Africa Nations Cup. Egypt will also be inspired to go back to the World Cup for the first time since 1990.