Shaban saves Uganda Cranes from defeat against Ghana

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Senior Men’s Football team, the Uganda Cranes, settled for a two-all draw against Ghana in their second friendly match of the March international break, held at Stade Grande Marrakech. KCCA FC striker Shaban Muhammad Jagason emerged as Uganda’s savior of the day, scoring a late goal that salvaged a crucial point for the Cranes, averting what could have been another disappointing defeat during this March window break.

Ghana, represented by the Black Stars, took an early lead just seven minutes into the game when central defender Jerome Opoku nodded in a corner kick, scoring his first international goal from a cross by captain Jordan Ayew.  However, the Uganda Cranes swiftly responded and restored parity in the 23rd minute through Asante Kotoko forward Steven Dese Mukwala, who scored via a penalty.

Ghana surged back into the lead before halftime, with Crystal Palace’s sharpshooter Jordan calmly slotting home from the penalty spot, heading into the break with the advantage. After halftime, both teams returned with renewed vigor and engaged in a fierce battle, but goals remained elusive until the 82nd minute when substitute Shaban seized the moment, striking from close range to clinch the equalizer and salvage a crucial point for Uganda.

However, before the end of the game, Ghana faced further woes when Mohammed Salisu was shown a red card in the dying moments, reducing them to ten men.  For Coach Paul Put, it marked his fifth game in charge of the Cranes, with victories against Somalia and Kuwait, but also defeats against Guinea and Comoros, now balanced by this hard-fought draw against Ghana.

Uganda Cranes’ next fixtures will be in June against Botswana and Algeria in Group G of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, where the Cranes currently sit fourth with three points.  Speaking after the game, Uganda Cranes coach Paul Put expressed his satisfaction with the result considering the weight of the opponent they faced.

However, the Belgian highlighted concerns about his team’s vulnerability to conceding easy goals and emphasized the need to address it before the World Cup qualifiers in June.

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