Uganda Cranes head coach Milutin Micho Sredojevic is impressed with youngsters Titus Ssematimba and Travis Mutyaba as the Cranes continue to prepare for 2022 African Nations Championship (CHAN).
Ahead of the competition in Algeria, the Cranes played three build-up games in Tunisia drawing all of them against Sudan, Cameroon, and Mali but Micho picked plenty of positives.
“We now have the foundation and in the last couple of days we shall be polishing aiming for a successful competition,” Micho told FUFA media after the goalless stalemate with Mali on Sunday.
“Given the quality of our players, I believe everyone gave in their best and I am optimistic about them delivering at the final stage.”
Micho added: “Players like Ssematimba and Mutyaba have been outstanding.”
“Ssematimba has shown something that we always knew, his work rate and contribution in today’s game and his readiness to be in that position of number 10.”
“I believe he will have his chance in CHAN and he has very much knocked on the door of being in the first 11 for the upcoming match and the next six days will determine a lot,” Micho added.
After the CHAN finals, Ssematimba and Mutyaba will be expected to transfer that experience to the U20 side ahead of the U20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
“Just like the way Bobosi Byaruhanga and Aziz Abdul Kayondo did from CHAN in Cameroon to U20 AFCON in Mauritania and reached the final,” Micho noted.
“I believe Ssematimba and Mutyaba will be fully ready to help coach Jackson Mayanja by going there and giving their best.”
Micho’s Cranes are in Group B of the CHAN tournament alongside Senegal, Ivory Coast, and the Democratic Republic of Congo and will kick start against the latter on Saturday, January 14th, 2023.
The U20 AFCON will run from February 19th to March 11th, 2023, Uganda is in Group B with the Central African Republic, Congo, and South Sudan.
They Hippos will get their tournament underway against the Central African Republic on February 20th.
This article was first published by football256.com and reproduced by kick442.com as an official media partner
