If the 30,000 plus soccer fans at Namboole could tell Angolan striker Manucho Goncalves was at sea, what of the man himself being sandwiched?

The 6ft 2in striker was apparently supposed to wreck havoc in the Cranes defence when Angola succumbed to a 3-0 defeat in the 2012 Nations Cup opening qualifier on Saturday. But he was instead subdued all evening. Cranes captain Ibrahim Sekagya played smart, often dispossessing the Bucaspor forward and later hoisting his hands in 'I didn't touch him' posture.

However, it was Andy Mwesigwa's steel and take-no-prisoners approach that defused any sinister intentions Manucho might have harboured, often the execution illegal but clean enough to escape the referee's reprimand. It was that discomforting that the former Manchester United striker later praised Mwesigwa for the job well done. On him. "After the match he came to me and said: 'Congratulations. You were difficult to beat, you are very hard,'" shared Mwesigwa.

Mwesigwa, who also scored against the Palancas Negras in 2008, further explained to Daily Monitor his arms-in-the-air celebration after netting Uganda's second."I was thanking God. I prayed before the match and even told Masaba (Simeon) and Mawejje (Tony) that I wanted to score. I loved the feeling. It was sweet memories," added the defender. The Cranes top group J on three points and next face Kenya in Nairobi, October 9.