By Robert Kayindi James
Football is a game with three possible results at the start of every match. You can win, draw or lose. Yesterday, the Uganda Cranes shared the spoils with Burkina Faso on match day four of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers to leave their hopes of making it to the next stage hanging in balance.
Uganda Cranes failure to win on home turf against a 10-man Burkina Faso side has left fans with mixed reactions.
Maurice Kamugisha, a passionate Uganda Cranes fan posted on his Facebook timeline, “Ebya Uganda you always need a calculator. Now these n**gas have started mbu ‘if’ we win the other two games then…. We had to start by winning at least one of the Burkina Faso games. Anyway we shall still support.”
Another disappointed local football fan, Ortega denounced his Ugandan nationality saying, “Wooow Burkinabe we are great.”
Meanwhile, Uganda lost its away match to Burkina Faso by 1-0 thanks to Jonathan Pitriopa’s penalty taken in the 60th minute of the game in Ouagadougou.
Why Uganda’s qualification now hangs in balance?
First and foremost, the Cranes must win their two remaining games against Botswana (away) and against Comoros (home) in the final game of the qualifiers at Namboole.
Secondly, Ugandans will have to pray that Burkina Faso suffer an upset in at least one of their last two fixtures against Comoros and Botswana respectively. This, because, if Burkina Faso and Uganda both win their last two games, the Stallions will remain top of group D on a better head-to-head against the Crane.
But in football, anything can happen, come those two match days, Uganda will need its God, if not gods, to guide it through.
