Even before Cranes kick a ball in their quest to qualify for the Nations Cup for the first time in 34 years, convoluted mathematics may - like in the last two campaigns - determine whether or not the team reach the Promised Land.

For Uganda to advance to the 2012 finals that will be jointly hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, Cranes will most certainly have to finish top of Group J. Failure to do so may leave Cranes at the mercy of calculators and mathematics, both of which accounted for our inability to make Ghana 2008 and Angola 2010.

Following the withdrawal of Mauritania in Group F and Togo's reinstatement to the qualifiers by Caf, the path to the Nations Cup has become complicated. But not impossible. Caf general secretary clarified in an e-mail to Daily Monitor about the format. Only 14 places are up for grabs with Gabon and Equatorial Guinea qualifying automatically as hosts.

Eleven of those slots will be taken by winners of the 11 groups. Then the runners up in Togo's group - the only one with five teams - will qualify. That leaves two places to be taken by the best second-placed teams out of 10 groups. Thus unless Uganda top Group J, Cranes will have to be one of those two teams.

It means coach Bobby Williamson's charges must be impressive home and away to defy history. In recent years, the national team have been solid at Namboole but woeful on the travels. However, in case a group of four is reduced to three teams during the competition, the two best runners up of the groups of four will be determined by considering their results with the first and third of their respective groups. Their results against the last team on the log will be irrelevant in order to allow the second country of the group reduced to three teams to remain in the race for the best second.

Nations Cup Qualifier

Uganda v Angola, Sept 4

Namboole, 4pm

Tickets:

VIP: 20,000

General: 10,000