The defending champions of the U20 TotalEnergies AFCON Zonal Qualifiers for CECAFA, the Uganda Hippos, will begin their title defense against Ethiopia on Monday evening.
Uganda Hippos will face Ethiopia at 6 p.m. at the Azam Complex in their Group B opening game.
Under the guidance of tactician Mathias Lule, the team aims to start with maximum points.
The team had extensive preparation in Uganda before departing for Tanzania on Friday last week, and the head coach is optimistic about starting off on a winning note.
“We are ready for this tournament, and the boys are in perfect shape to face any team,” he stated. “Our preparations have been perfect, and we call upon Ugandans to rally behind us in this journey.”
Team captain Toto Majub echoed his coach’s sentiments, emphasizing the positive results the team hopes to achieve.
“We have had excellent training from the technical team, both here and back home in our residential camp at the FUFA Technical Centre in Njeru,” he remarked. “What’s left is for us players to take to the pitch and deliver.”
The entire 20-man squad is fit and available for selection to fight for three points this evening.
Meanwhile, in another Group B fixture, South Sudan will face Burundi earlier in the day at the KMC Stadium.
The top two teams from the group stage will qualify for the tournament semifinals, with both finalists securing a spot in the U20 AFCON final tournament.
