Uganda will hope to secure a slot into the quarterfinals of the ongoing TotalEnergies U20 Africa Cup of Nations on Thursday as they take on Congo Brazzaville at Suez Canal Authority Stadium.
A victory for the Hippos will automatically send them through to the last eight having attained maximum points in the opening game against Central African Republic.
Hippos coach Jackson Mayanja is aware of what Thursday’s encounter means in the quest to keep the World Cup dream a reality.
“The first game is behind us and Thursday poses a different challenge for us. We have tried to preach this to the boys and I’m hopeful we will come out victorious,” Mayanja said in the pre-match press conference.
“Winning our first game was important but we believe the second game is equally important for us to stand a chance of progressing to the next level,” he added.
Midfielder Titus Ssematimba indicates they know Congo will be tougher than their previous opponent and thus extra efforts must be applied.
“They (Congo) won their first game like we did. Therefore, they are not a pushover for us. We have to work harder and do better than our previous game.”
Uganda won the first group game 2-1 against Central African Republic thanks to goals from skipper Isma Mugulusi and John Paul Dembe.
It should be noted that the four teams that reach the semifinals will qualify for the FIFA U20 World Cup.
