Uganda Cranes Head Coach, Paul Put, and team captain, Khalid Aucho, addressed the media on Sunday in preparation for their TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Congo at the Mandela National Stadium on Monday.
Both the coach and the captain exuded confidence, emphasizing that the primary goal for Monday’s match is to secure all three points.
Coach Put expressed that his squad is in excellent condition and fully prepared to take on Congo’s Red Devils.
“We had a tough match on Friday where we had to dig deep to get a positive result away, but now our focus is entirely on Congo. I believe the players have recovered well despite the short recovery period between Friday’s match and tomorrow’s game,” Put explained.
“We are still a work in progress, but I’m happy with the improvements, and I know we’ll reach our peak soon,” he added.
The coach also provided an update on striker Muhammad Shaban, who was sidelined for the game against South Africa.
“Shaban sustained an injury in the last 15 minutes of our final training session before the South Africa match. We’ll monitor his progress during today’s training and hope he can be available for tomorrow’s game,” Put disclosed.
Regarding Congo, Coach Put acknowledged the strength of their opponents and stressed that they should not be underestimated.
“Congo has a lot of quality, with players featuring in top leagues. We definitely respect them, but our focus is on getting the full points,” he noted.
Captain Khalid Aucho, undeterred by the limited recovery time, assured that the team is ready for Monday’s clash.
“After playing on Friday, we traveled the next day, leaving us little time to rest. But as players, we are in high spirits and ready to give everything to make ourselves and Ugandans proud,” Aucho stated.
The determined midfielder believes that securing a point away from South Africa is a solid start to their AFCON 2025 qualifying campaign.
“We earned a point on the road in our first game, which gave us a good platform. Now, we have no excuses not to win tomorrow at home,” Aucho added.
The Uganda Cranes squad has been further strengthened by the arrival of defenders Kenneth Ssemakula and Halidi Lwaliwa.
Uganda is competing in Group K, alongside Congo, South Africa, and South Sudan.
