UGANDA captain Isma Mugulusi and head coach Jackson Mayanja are brimming with confidence ahead of today’s U-20 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final clash against Nigeria’s Flying Eagles in Ismailia, Egypt.
The winners of the all-important encounter will advance to the semi-finals and, more importantly, earn a ticket to the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Indonesia in May and June.
Mugulusi, who was part of the Ugandan team that reached the final of the U-20 AFCON in Mauritania in 2021, boasted that the Hippos are in high spirits.
“We are ready, everyone is in shape, we’re mentally good. We’ve tried to put what the coach wants in practice. I think we can overcome Nigeria in the quarter-finals,” the Makedonikos FC forward said during the pre-match press conference.
“We are told and we have been assisted by the coaches and other players who visited our camp like former Cranes goalkeeper and captain Dennis Onyango and former Hippos captain Gavin Kizito to eat the grass so I think we will eat the grass.
“In this team everyone is a captain. It’s not only me so it’s not something big though I am the one who wears the armband but everyone is a leader in our team.”
While Uganda won their group, the Flying Eagles finished second in Group A after losing their opening fixture against Senegal, and Mugulusi believes his side have an advantage.
“Nigeria has been good but now we’re also good and we can compete,” he added.
“If we manage to qualify for the quarter-finals that means we can also qualify to the semi-finals and go to the World Cup.
“This is the day we will write history in Ugandan football.”
Head coach Mayanja was also in a buoyant mood at his pre-match press conference in Ismailia.
“It’s a new month and we hope we can enter the new month and go to the semi-finals,” Mayanja said.
“We’re very prepared as a team and this is the most important time for my team to make sure we achieve our goal and all the players are in good condition they’re very fine.
“I have always said it and I will say it again here. What I want to achieve with this team is to qualify for the World Cup.”
The former El Masry of Egypt midfielder was more concerned about his team than tonight’s opponents.
“I don’t need to know so much about Nigeria even if you go out and look around every player but football is about what you think in the tactical part of it so we’re trying to put ourselves in a very good tactical position,” he said.
“Nigeria is a good team. It’s going to be a very hard game but I think like I said, the achievement we need is attainable, that’s what we want to achieve.
“I don’t want to talk about Nigeria. The game is to be played on the pitch.”
The match at the Suez Canal Authority Stadium in Ismailia will kick off at 6pm Nigerian time.
