Pre-CHAN Mini Tournament
Participating Teams: Cameroon, Uganda, Zambia and Niger
Purpose: Preparing for the 2020 Total CHAN Finals kicking off on 16th January 2021 in Cameroon
Venue: Stade Ahamdaou Ahidjo- Yaounde-Cameroon (All matches)
Dates (Uganda Matches)
1st Jan 2021 Cameroon 1-1 Uganda
4th Jan 2021 Uganda vs Zambia (4pm Local Time, 6pm EAT)
7th Jan 2021 Uganda vs Niger (4pm Local Time, 6pm EAT)
Uganda Cranes played for close to 80 minutes with a man down following a straight red card to Ben Ocen to pick up a 1-1 draw with Cameroon. The Police FC Winger was adjudged to have elbowed his opponent.
From the resultant free-kick on 13 minutes, Cameroon took the lead with a headed goal by Captain Banga Bidjeme. However before that, Cranes had dominated the opening ten minutes in which Cameroon conceded three successive corner kicks but yielded nothing. Karim Watambala’s delivery of all the kicks put the Lions’ defence under pressure as they played for survival at time.
Uganda Cranes coach Johnathan McKinstry was never tempted to change his tactical formation even when his team played with a man less. However as the first half grew older, striker Joseph Ssemujju was introduced for Watambala.
The Lions were by this time in control of the game but the central defence partnership of Paul Mbowa and Musitafa Mujuzi did all they could to avert any aerial danger.
The second half so no substitutions made until midway of this period when a double change was introduced with Vianne Sekajugo and Bobosi Byaruhanga coming in for Ojera Joackiam and Captain Tonny Mawejje.
Ojera had ended the first half with a bandaged head following a clash of heads with his opponent. The stylish winger caused all sorts of problems for the Cameroonian backline as he also received cheers from the very few fans who attended the match.
Mujuzi took over the skipper’s role following the departure of experienced Mawejje whose captaincy had earlier witnessed Milton Karisa and Ojera Walter combine with a series of passes between the pair to hand Uganda the equaliser in the 70th minute.
L-R Karisa. Semujju, Ojera, Kagimu Shafik and Mawejje
Birthday boy Shaban Muhammad was introduced with 10 minutes to go for goal scorer Karisa.
Disappointed fans
The disappointment of the Cameroonian fans was evident at the final whistle as Uganda held the home side (Intermediate Lions-) to a 1-1 draw in the opening match of the Pre- CHAN Mini Tournament at the Stade Ahamdaou Ahidjo- Yaounde. Zambia coach Milutin Sredojevic was alos in attendance as his faces his former employers on 4th January 2021.
It is obvious that the Lions’ fans want to see their team deliver on home soil especially during the 2020 Total CHAN Finals.
However they will have to keep their ears on ground as results similar to today’s game might still happen. There were extremely limited numbers of fans inside the stadium due to the prevailing Covid-19 conditions.
Cameron ended the match with a man down late in the game as Yarkan Abouri Basile was shown second yellow card.
Head coach Uganda Cranes Johnathan McKinstry
‘We said coming into this tournament was not about results. It was about taking on the host Nation and other top opposition. We wanted to come here and prepare for the main tournament. We encouraged our players to be confident even when we lost one of them. We created chances even with a man less but the equalizer was well deserved.
Muhammad Shaban-Uganda Cranes player
‘We have learnt lot from this match. Having played with 10 players for almost the whole game, we are happy with the result. We shall improve in our next game’
Uganda Cranes: Joel Mutakubwa (GK), Tonny Mawejje-Capt (Bobosi Byaruhanga), Aziizi Kayondo, Ashraf Mandela, Paul Mbowa, Musitafa Mujuzi, AbdulKarim Watambala (Joseph Ssemujju), Ben Ocen, Joackiam Ojera (Vianne Sekajugo), Karisa Milton (Muhammad Shaban).
Cameroon: Junior Dande (GK), Banga Salomon Bidjeme (Capt), Etame Ngombe, Yankam Basile, Ondoa Edima Franck, Ako Assomo, Serge Andoulo, Felix Oukine, Badouidana Onana, Meyong Alfred, Yannick Ndjeng
The tournament is organised by Alim Football Management and FECAFOOT.
