By James Robert Kayindi
Uganda Cranes camp went all smiles when his Excellence president Museveni pledged to finance the Uganda Cranes trip to Mauritania for the second leg match of the 2015 Africa Cup Nations’ qualifiers. The president also promised to finance the Uganda Cubs’ trip to Rwanda for the second leg of the 2015 Africa Youth qualifiers.
The Uganda Cranes have, however, suffered a big blow as they travel to Mauritania this week on Thursday for their second leg as Emma Okwi is ruled out. “We have released the player (Okwi) to go back home and rest after sustaining groin injury,” Katende Malibu, Cranes media officer reported.
Emma Okwi has been suffering with this injury for quite some time but Micho was hopeful that he would be at his service by 3rd August when Uganda Cranes take on Mauritania at the Olympic stadium. This came at a time when Micho just revealed that he is not sure whether first team goalkeeper Denis Masinde Onyango will be available for the game, with young striker Yunis Ssentamu also left out.
This means that Micho will be only left with Geofrey Massa, Hamis Diego Kizza and BrianUmony in the camp as the only options for him to line up his attack against Mauritania.
The Uganda Cranes are meant resume training at Njeru technical center as a way to use to the artificial turf. “We have to acclimatize to the same pitch conditions like those of the Olympic stadium in Mauritania where the fixture will be held,” Micho reported ealier last week.
Meanwhile, foreign players will continue to join the team in camp with the likes of Khalid Aucho(Tusker), Geoffrey ‘Baba’ Kizito and Godfrey expected have already arrived by now.