WAFCON 2022: Senegal vs Uganda preview

Senegal play Uganda for the first time in their history in their opening fixture at the Africa Cup of Nations. Both sides have only qualified for the competition for the first time, but after Morocco’s victory over Burkina Faso last night, a win tonight would put either side in pole position to make it out of the group stage. Kick off 16:00 BST.

Senegal make their long-awaited return

The Teranga Lionesses come into the competition with arguably their strongest side since the 1970s, with a number of players plying their trade in France.

The Senegalese have also pulled off some big upsets in the last year including knocking out AFCON regulars Mali in qualifying. They certainly rode their luck in the tie, coming through a penalty shootout in which Mali hit the cross bar twice and had another penalty blazed wide.

However, since then, they have not looked back. The West Africans come into the tournament with one of the best preparations in the tournament. While some teams come into the tournament having not played any international friendlies, Senegal have played four, twice playing Cameroon (one loss and one draw) before beating Guinea-Bissau and drawing with Tunisia.

Mame Moussa Cisse’s team’s strength is found at the top of the pitch, particularly in the shape of Nguenar Ndiaye and Mama Diop. The pair who ply their club football at Bourge Foot 18 and Racing Club du Lens respectively in France scored seven goals in four matches in the qualifiers. Completing a lethal attacking trio is centre forward Ndeye Diakhate who plays for Olympique Marseille.

They will rely on the forward line to do one better than in 2012 where the side was dumped out of the competition without scoring a single goal and conceding seven.

East Africa’s champions come with the form

In the way of Senegal is a resurgent Uganda side who, like their counterparts, are only playing in the AFCON for the second time. But where Senegal’s last appearance was in 2012, it has been 22 years since the Crested Cranes graced the African stage.

Since then the Ugandans have been floundering as a football nation, their lowest point coming in 2013 when they took the painful decision to pull out of qualifying for the 2014 edition. But since then they have gone from strength to strength. In 2015 they established a national league which has grown in strength. Testament to that fact is that all but one of the players in Morocco have now come through the top league in Uganda.

George Lutalo’s side also had to rely on some luck to qualify for the tournament. The first came through a tough assignment against Ethiopia, beating them on penalties. But in the second round of qualifiers, against arch-rivals Kenya, Uganda were given a walkover as the Kenyans were disqualified from qualification.

But the Crested Cranes have since been preparing well. In front of a boisterous home crowd, they won their first ever CECAFA championship, winning all five games and only conceding twice. They followed that up with a 5-0 thrashing of Zambia in a pre-tournament friendly.

The team strikes a nice balance of home based players as well as those playing across Europe and America. Going forward, they will be looking to Fazila Ikwaput who was top of the scoring charts at the CECAFA championship, grabbing six from five games. At the back it is captain and goalkeeper Ruth Aturo who will provide stability. The keeper comes into the competition off the back of a strong season at Finnish outfit Katkan Tyovaen Palloillijat FC.

Like their opponents, Uganda were unable to get out of their group in their first appearance at the AFCON, but with the expanded format allowing for up to three teams to qualify from a group, they will be confident they can do one better than the 2000 team.

What they said

Crested Cranes head coach George Lutalo:

“It doesn’t matter if it’s our first time. The experience is not the best. But for us, we have prepared ourselves ready for this competition and winning Zambia (5-0) just shows the way we have prepared ourselves and we are ready to take on whoever comes across us.”

“Us qualifying to such a big tournament in Africa, shows that there is real development in our country as far as playing football is concerned.

“Whichever team has come into this competition, is a really strong team. Senegal is a strong team. But I know the Crested Cranes, we have prepared ourselves and are ready to take on Senegal.”

Uganda captain Ruth Aturo:

“I think tomorrow’s match is going to be a really hard match because it’s the first match and of course it is one of our first games to be played in this tournament. However, we are going to take it as the final game for us because we are not going to take each game for granted. Since we really want to start by winning our first game. We are ready and I think we are going to make it