Egypt-Uganda AFCON repeat, minus Micho, Mawejje and Massa

Uganda's squad (back L-R) Wasswa, Kizito, Juuko, Aucho, Ochaya, Massa,
(L-R) Mawejje, Miya, Onyango,  Walusimbi and Iguma ahead of the 2017
Africa Cup of Nations group D football match between Egypt
and Uganda in Port-Gentil on January 21, 2017.  AFP PHOTO 

2018 FIFA World Cup Russia
Thursday, 31st August 2017
Uganda  vs Egypt 

Cranes interim coach Moses Basena has named nine of the 11 players that started against Egypt in their January AFCON encounter, on a team of 27 to prepare for a make or break double header against the same side August 31 and September 5.

Other than Geofrey Massa, who has since retired, and Tonny Mawejje, who has not played in a while, the rest of the team that started in January and most of the substitutes are on a list of 27 that Basena named in Kampala on Wednesday to prepare for their World Cup qualifier against Egypt.

At their last encounter at the African Cup of Nations in Gabon in January, Egypt’s Pharoahs piped Uganda Cranes 1-0 with a late goal.

In that game, Massa was out of sorts and was replaced by Muhammed Shaban while Mawejje dominated the midfield.

Uganda has had a good start to their World Cup qualification campaign, drawing away in Ghana and beating Congo. They will however start a game for the first time in 4 years minus coach Milutin 'Micho' Sredojevich who moved to Orlando Pirates

It will be coach Moses Basena’s 3rd game in charge, having led the Uganda Cranes to CHAN qualification.

Basena names his team . PHOTO FUFA MEDIA

‘I wish to thank the players, media and all the Ugandans for the support during the recently concluded successful CHAN qualification campaign. It is great that we qualified, a process that we shall build on for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Egypt’ Basena said.

On Tony Mawejje's absence, he said: " Tony is one of those very important players, but he has been out (of action) for long."

Egypt top the group with two wins, against Congo and Ghana.

"I'm the Moses to lead @UgandaCranes to the promised land" Says Basena @Airtel_Ug @MosesMagogo @NileSpecial @EcobankUganda @NIC_Uganda pic.twitter.com/zPqs1R64Fo

— Uganda FA [FUFA] (@OfficialFUFA) August 30, 2017

*******

Cranes squad:

Goalkeepers: Dennis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa), Robert Odongkara (St George, Ethiopia), Ismail Watenga (Vipers), Benjamin Ochan (KCCA)

Defenders: Nico Wakiro Wadada (Vipers), Isaac Muleme (KCCA), Timothy Dennis Awany (KCCA), Murushid Juuko (Simba, Tanzania), Bernard Muwanga (SC Villa Jogoo), Geofrey ‘Jajja Walu’ Walusimbi (Gor Mahia, Kenya), Dennis Iguma (Al Ahed, Lebanon), Paul Musamali (KCCA), Isaac Isinde (Buildcon, Zambia)

Midfielders: Aucho Khalid (Unattached), Geofrey ‘Baba’ Kizito (Than Quảng Ninh, Vietnam), Ivan ‘Kojja’ Ntege (Township Rollers, Botswana), Muzamiru Mutyaba (KCCA), Moses Waiswa (Vipers), Shafiq Kagimu (URA), William Luwagga Kizito (CSM Politehnica Iași, Romania), Wasswa Hassan Mawanda (Njimeh Lebanon), Joseph Ochaya (Lusaka Dynamos, Zambia)

Strikers: Derrick Nsibambi (KCCA), Geofrey Sserunkuma (Buildcon, Zambia), Emmanuel Okwi (Simba, Tanzania), Milton Karisa (Vipers), Faruku Miya (Standard Liege, Belgium).

Egypt squad

Goalkeepers:  Essam El-Hadary (Taawoun, KSA), Sherif Ekrami (Ahly), Ahmed El-Shennawy (Zamalek).

Defenders: Ahmed Elmohamady (Aston Villa, England), Mohamed Abdel-Shafi (Ahly Jeddah, KSA), Ahmed Hegazi (West Bromwich, England), Omar Gaber (Basel, Switzerland), Karim Hafiz (Lens, France), Saad Samir (Ahly), Rami Rabia (Ahly), Ahmed Fathi (Ahly), Mohamed Fathi (Ismaily).

Midfielders: Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal, England), Mahmoud "Trezeguet" Hassan (Kasimpasa, Turkey), Sam Morsi (Wigan, England), Ramadan Sobhi (Stoke City, England), Tarek Hamed (Zamalek), Hossam Ashour (Ahly), Abdallah El-Said (Ahly), Saleh Gomaa (Ahly).

Forwards: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, England), Ahmed Koka (Sporting Braga, Portugal), Amr Gamal (Bivest Witts, South Africa), Mahmoud "Kahraba" Abdel-Moneim (Ittihad Jeddah, Saudi Arabia), Hossam Hassan (Smouha).

Group E

	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Egypt	2	2	0	0	4	1	+3	6			—	5 Sep	2–0	8 Oct
2	Uganda	2	1	1	0	1	0	+1	4			31 Aug	—	7 Oct	1–0
3	Ghana	2	0	1	1	0	2	−2	1			6 Nov	0–0	—	1 Sep
4	Congo	2	0	0	2	1	3	−2	0			1–2	6 Nov	5 Sep	—