Kampala, Uganda — Uganda coach Morley Byekwaso has said his team is well-prepared ahead of the CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN).
Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania will co-host the tournament for players featuring in their respective domestic leagues from August 2 to 30.
Byekwaso told Xinhua that the two recent friendlies against Tanzania and Senegal in the CECAFA pre-CHAN Tournament had given them a better assessment of the team's strengths and weaknesses.
Uganda lost 1-0 to Tanzania before defeating defending CHAN champions Senegal 2-1 in Karatu on Thursday.
"We have been training for some time now and the two internationals put us in a good situation. I am confident that the team is in good shape to perform well in the CHAN competition," Byekwaso said.
Uganda opens its Group C campaign in the CHAN competition against 2023 finalists Algeria at the Mandela National Stadium in Kampala.
Byekwaso made it clear that playing in the same group alongside Algeria, South Africa, Guinea and Niger would represent a tricky task. "We know what to expect but we must treat every match like a final because the first task is to ensure we make it out of the group and qualify for the knockout stage," Byekwaso explained.
The coach also called upon Ugandan fans to come in large numbers to cheer the team on. "Support from the fans will mean a lot for the team," he said. ∎
