Cranes to play AFCON home games abroad

By Drone writer

Uganda Cranes will be playing their African cup of nation’s qualifiers from abroad because Uganda has no stadium to host home games

The development was confirmed by the Federation of Uganda football Associations (FUFA) president Eng. Moses Magogo

“CAF has given us until February 10 to be able to submit a stadium that has been homologated by the administrative body. Between now and the deadline, I don’t think there are miracles that can be done for Namboole to be ready,” said Magogo.

He added, “Unfortunately, all our immediate neighbors don’t have stadiums that qualify.”

In the campaign that starts in March, Uganda is in Group F, which has neighbors Tanzania, Algeria, and Niger.

According to Magogo, the latest CAF stadium homologation states that the Uganda Cranes will not have a stadium to host AFCON and World Cup qualifiers in Uganda.

Tanzania has one, but we are playing against them, so we are looking at nations like Zambia, Malawi, and Egypt, among others.”

It should be noted that the Cranes have been using St. Mary’s Stadium in Kitende as their home ground for the AFCON and World Cup Qualifiers.

However, Magogo said that the stadium is ineligible to host international games.

“I am the President of FUFA. We don’t manage; we are just clients at Mandela National Stadium and St Mary’s. We can only raise the noise like any other Ugandan, which we have done through parliament, and that’s how the resources have been availed,” he said.

Namboole stadium, which is supposed to host the games is still under renovation by Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF)

Last year, the soldier’s first job at the stadium was to build a fence over the stadium and also evict people that were staying on Namboole land illegally.

This year, they are now focusing on refurbishing the stadium interior and exterior before the stadium is handed over back to the ministry of education and sports.