UGANDA v EGYPT August 31st | 2018 WCQ | Match Preview
Match info:
World Cup Qualifiers Third round
Thursday, August 31, 9:00 AM ET (Canada-USA) | 15:00 Cairo Local Time
Mandela National Stadium, Kampala, Uganda
The Egyptian national team headed to Alexandria’s Borg El-Arab stadium on Tuesday afternoon to begin their trip to Uganda’s Kampala, ahead of the much-anticipated 2018 African World Cup qualifier.
The two nations will face-off Thursday at the Mandela National Stadium, five days before the second-leg in Alexandria.
“We are preparing well for the upcoming Uganda game as it will be crucial game in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers,” Hector Cuper told a press conference on Thursday.
“We are working now to prepare the domestic players who arrived in the closed camp three days ago, and are awaiting the arrival of the foreign-based players who will come 27-28 August,” Cuper added.
“I am confident of the players’ ability to overcome Uganda as well as easing the way to the World Cup finals,” he said.
“We studied the Uganda team well and we know how to face them in the two-leg game,” the Argentinean coach said during the press conference.
“I am following domestic and foreign-based players so I didn’t determine the final squad.”
“I am worried about the late arrival of the foreign-based players, only three days before the game, as Uganda is a tough team and they have a brilliant left-back as well as a good defence.”
“We are concentrating now on the Uganda game and I am not thinking of any other game in the qualifiers,” the Egypt coach concluded.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJH32ZK8zzg
Topping Group E with six points, the Pharaohs are looking for a victory in the Ugandan capital to boost their qualification chances.
Egypt will host Uganda on 5 September at Alexandria’s Borg El-Arab Stadium.
Egypt last made it to the World Cup in 1990 and hope to end their 28-year wait with an appearance in Russia next year.
The final 25-man squad is as follows:
Goalkeepers:
Essam El-Hadary (Taawoun, KSA), Sherif Ekrami (Ahly), Ahmed El-Shennawy (Zamalek).
Defenders:
Ahmed Elmohamady (Aston Villa, England), Mohamed Abdel-Shafi (Ahly Jeddah, KSA), Ahmed Hegazi (West Bromwich, England), Omar Gaber (Basel, Switzerland), Karim Hafiz (Lens, France), Saad Samir (Ahly), Rami Rabia (Ahly), Ahmed Fathi (Ahly), Mohamed Fathi (Ismaily).
Midfielders:
Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal, England), Mahmoud “Trezeguet” Hassan (Kasimpasa, Turkey), Sam Morsi (Wigan, England), Ramadan Sobhi (Stoke City, England), Tarek Hamed (Zamalek), Hossam Ashour (Ahly), Abdallah El-Said (Ahly), Saleh Gomaa (Ahly).
Forwards:
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, England), Ahmed Koka (Sporting Braga, Portugal), Amr Gamal (Bivest Witts, South Africa), Mahmoud “Kahraba” Abdel-Moneim (Ittihad Jeddah, Saudi Arabia), Hossam Hassan (Smouha).
Egypt History against Uganda from 1962 until now:
Egypt won 14 games against Uganda
Draw: 3
Lost: 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJGoRE8Unxg
Egyptian Fans predicting the game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbrle0wefzY
Uganda
The Cranes will return to action for the first time since defeating Cape Verde 1-0 in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier in Praia two months ago.
Uganda head coach Moses Basena has revealed his satisfaction on his team form ahead of Thursday’s pivotal 2018 World Cup qualifier against Egypt.
The Cranes played the North Eastern select side in the regional tour in Bukedea on Saturday. The match was part contractual obligations with sponsors Nile Special and also to step up preparations for Pharaohs clash.
The match yielded a 3-1 result and Basena was impressed with the output of his players.
“We have achieved two things. Going through a match situation and lifting the fitness levels of some of our players.”
Four Cranes players Ismail Watenga, Paul Musamali, Ivan Ntege and Hassan Wasswa played the entire game and Basena gave the impression the last two are in contention for slots on Thursday.
“That’s why you saw that people like (Hassan) Wasswa and (Ivan) Ntege played 90minutes as we continue to assess them between Sunday and Wednesday,” he said after the game played in front of a capacity crowd in Bukedea on Saturday.
Albeit playing against mainly lower league opposition, the pair showed no signs of rust despite not playing competitively having moved to Lebanon and Botswana respectively.
Dennis Guma and Yassar Mugerwa were the other foreign based players to feature in a team dominated by players from the Chan team that sealed qualification last week in Rwanda.
