Uganda Cranes have made qualification to the African Nations Championship (Chan) tournament a habit. Next year's edition in Algeria will be the sixth successive time The Cranes compete at the Chan.
But at the same time, The Cranes have turned Chan disappointment into an art form. Uganda has not made it beyond the group stages. Therefore, even this time round, Cranes coach Milutin 'Micho' Sredojevich has the odds stuck against his side, to end that poor run.
The Cranes will be stationed in the city of Annaba for their group games. But overall, the team's biggest shortcoming has been the lack of goals. In 15 appearances at the last five Chan tournaments, Cranes have scored 11 goals, which is less than a goal per game.
Add the fact that the Cranes have conceded 24 goals, which highlights the defensive weaknesses. Micho, acknowledges that Uganda has been placed in a group 'B' of huge footballing nations, and they just have to keep working hard.
Micho said: "We just have to believe in what we are doing and the players we are having; hopefully we shall make it sixth time lucky and qualify for the quarter-finals."
The qualification to Chan has always been a stark contrast, though. Last month, Uganda beat Tanzania 4-0 on aggregate. But the team's struggles in the real tournament over the years is proof that the domestic league itself, which includes the coaches in it, seems not to have addressed the deficiencies.
Group B: DR Congo, Uganda, Ivory Coast, Senegal
Related Stories
2022-10-04 - Absence of career dev't framework haunting our players
2022-10-08 - Blind football giving new opportunities to visually impaired
2022-10-09 - Can Vipers SC beat Mazembe?
2022-10-04 - Can Vipers overcome Mazembe, something KCC failed in 1980?
2022-10-04 - Patrick Lwanga: The towering goalkeeper eternally rests
