Kaddu heads Uganda Cranes into 2nd straight Nations Cup final

Uganda ?? 1 Cape Verde ?? 0

AFCON 2019: Uganda, Nigeria, Morocco qualify while Libya hit eight

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Just when it looked like Cape Verde would hang on for a point, Patrick Kaddu used his head to break the deadlock as Uganda qualified for their second successive African Cup of Nations finals for the first time since the seventies.

Kaddu popped from the blue to glance in a header from a fine cross by Godfrey Walusimbi in the 79th minute to spark of wild celebrations by Ugandan fans.

Uganda Cranes capped the performance by holding on for their fifth consecutive clean sheet at the Cameroon 2019 qualifiers with what their French coach Sébastien Desabre, 41, said is his finest achievement.

“Yes”, he replied when asked by journalists if this was his biggest achievement as a coach.

.@UgandaCranes players showing their love to Coach @Seb_Desabre. #UGACPV #TuddeyoMuAFCON pic.twitter.com/oX5dvAGTBb

— FUFA (@OfficialFUFA) November 17, 2018

Emotional evening tonight. Home debut. Thank you to my teammates and coaches for making this happen. #AFCON2019

To all the @UgandaCranes fans thank you for believing in us. pic.twitter.com/qjJ5yqq3SK

— Kaddu Patrick Henry (@KadduPatrick9) November 17, 2018

Uganda Cranes 1-0 Cape Verde | Match Highlights #KawowoUpdates pic.twitter.com/6SN8LXGOMJ

— Kawowo Sports (@kawowosports) November 18, 2018

There was also a sense at the end of the match that Ugandan football history has been made, and the older generation of stars are now confident a new generation of players is ready to carry Cranes into the future.

“This is likely to be my last African Cup of Nations qualifying match at Namboole,” declared captain Denis Onyango who is yet to be beaten in the qualifiers. He has been between goal for five qualifying matches, 540 minutes without conceding.

Kaddu’s goal not only assured Uganda of first place in Group K with one game to go, it also opened the door for Tanzania to also qualify.

If the Tanzanians win in Lesotho on Sunday they will return to the African football showcase after a 38-year absence.

Cape Verde coach Rui Aguas  admitted his side were second best and will be lucky to snatch second place.

“Congs Uganda. They deserve the win,” he said, before rushing to catch a flight back to Cape Verde.

Cape Verde were in the 2013 and 2017 Nations Cup finals.

Group L  

Standings P W D L F A  PTS

Uganda     5  4  1  0  7  0  13

Tanzania    4  1  2  1  3  4   5

C. Verde     5  1  1  3  4  5  4

Lesotho     4   0  2  2  2  7  2

Uganda’s Africa Cup of Nations record

Host nation(s) / Year	Round	Position	GP	W	D*	L	GS	GA
1957 to  1959	Did not enter
1962	Fourth Place	4th	2	0	0	2	1	5
1963	Withdrew
1965	Did not qualify
1968	Group Stage	8th	3	0	0	3	2	8
1970 to  1972	Did not qualify
1974	Group Stage	6th	3	0	1	2	3	5
1976	Group Stage	8th	3	0	0	3	2	6
1978	Runners-Up	2nd	5	3	0	2	9	7
1980 to  1982	Withdrew
1984 to  1988	Did not qualify
1990	Withdrew
1992 to  2015	Did not qualify
2017	Group Stage	13th	3	0	1	2	1	3
2019 to  2023	To be determined
Total	Runners-Up	6/31	19	3	2	14	18	34

Tweets by OfficialFUFA

Africa roundup

Nigeria, Uganda and Morocco qualified for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations Saturday while Libya scored eight goals to keep alive hopes of also featuring at the finals.

Nigeria drew 1-1 with South Africa in Soweto, Uganda edged Cape Verde 1-0 in Kampala and Morocco went through after rivals Malawi lost 2-1 in the Comoros.

Libya triumphed 8-1 in the Seychelles and host South Africa next March needing a win to accompany Nigeria from Group E.

The Libyans just missed equalling the record away winning margin for a Cup of Nations qualifier held by Ghana, who won 9-1 in Niger 49 years ago.

A total of eight nations have secured places at the 24-team finals with hosts Cameroon, Madagascar, Senegal, Egypt and Tunisia securing places before this weekend.

Nigeria, the three-time former champions who had failed to qualify for the last two editions, were ahead in South Africa within nine minutes when Buhle Mkhwanazi conceded an own-goal.

Outstanding South African Percy Tau set up the equaliser for Lebo Mothiba on 26 minutes, but the hosts were fortunate as several contentious offside decisions went against Nigeria.

Anis Saltou bagged a hat-trick in Victoria as Libya humiliated the Seychelles, whose 188th world ranking is the lowest among the 48 teams in the qualifying competition.

????❤ pic.twitter.com/Wfla6ste9U

— Mohamed Salah (@MoSalah) November 16, 2018

Morocco qualify

Morocco qualified when Group B rivals Malawi lost 2-1 away to out-of-contention Comoros in Mitsamiouli.

The Comoran victory in the Indian Ocean island state gave Morocco an unassailable six-point advantage over Malawi with only one matchday left.

El Fardou Mohamed Ben Nabouhane, who has been playing for Red Star Belgrade in the UEFA Champions League, gave the Comoros a second-minute lead.

Patrick Phiri equalised after 53 minutes and Nasser Chamed scored the match-winner in the 70th minute on an artificial pitch.

Leaders Morocco and second-placed Cameroon qualify from the group with the latter assured of a place because they are hosting the June 15-July 13 tournament.

Cameroon are involved in the qualifying competition to gain match practice before defending a title they won in Gabon last year by defeating Egypt 2-1 in the final.

Morocco climbed above Cameroon into first place in Group B Friday after beating them 2-0 in Casablanca thanks to a second-half brace from Hakim Ziyech.

Although consistently among the strongest African national teams, Morocco have won the Cup of Nations only once, in 1976 in Ethiopia when the tournament was a series of mini-leagues.

STARTING XIs

Uganda Starting Line up
➡18 Onyango
➡4 Juuko
➡8 Aucho
➡12 Iguma
➡14 Wadada
➡15 Walusimbi
➡16 Wasswa
➡17 Miya
➡20 Muleme
➡22 Kaddu
➡23 Waiswa

UGANDA: Denis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa), Nico Wakiro Wadada (Azam FC, Tanzania), Godfrey Walusimbi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa), Murushid Juuko (Simba SC, Tanzania), Hassan Wasswa (El Geish, Egypt), Denis Iguma (Kazma FC, Kuwait), Khalid Aucho (Church Hill Brothers, India), Faruku Miya (Gorica, Croatia), Moses Waiswa (Vipers SC, Uganda), Patrick Henry Kaddu (KCCA FC, Uganda), Isaac Muleme (Haras El Hodood, Egypt)

CAPE VERDE: Thierry Graça (Estoril, Portugal), Ianique“Stopira” Tavares (MOL Vidi, Hungary), Fernando Varela (PAOK, Greece), Carlos“Ponck” Rodrigues (CD Aves, Portugal), Elvis Manuel “Babanco” Macedo (Feirense,Portugal), Jeffrey Fortes (Excelsior, Netherlands), Helder Tavares Luis LopesViera (Tondela, Portugal), Garry Mendes Rodrigues (Galatasaray, Turkey),Nuno Rocha (Universitatea Craiova, Romania), Ryan Mendes (AlSharjah, United Arab Emirates), Jorge Semedo (Al Ahly, Egypt)