Uganda Cranes begin CHAN 2024 quest for redemption vs Algeria

CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024

Pamoja (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda)

August 2-30

Group C

Today

Niger v Guinea 5pm

Uganda v Algeria 8pm

For underdogs in any football tournament, starting with a win or even avoiding defeat in the opening group match especially against one of the favourites can be the spark that ignites a successful campaign.

It builds confidence, momentum, and belief within the squad while significantly increasing their chances of progressing to the knockout stage.

Tonight, under the floodlights of Mandela National Stadium, Namboole, Uganda Cranes who are considered underdogs in Group C begin their African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024 campaign with a stern test against the Desert Foxes of Algeria who are runners-up from the previous edition.

As co-hosts of the tournament with Kenya and Tanzania, Uganda will be looking to finally break their group stage curse in what is their seventh appearance at CHAN finals.

Before Uganda faces Algeria in an encounter which is expected to produce fireworks, Niger and Guinea will face off in the opening match of Group C at 5pm. South Africa is the other team in this competitive group.

Uganda’s hopes of advancing to the knockout hinge heavily on how they perform in tonight’s encounter against Algeria. Many fans view this match as crucial, one that could set the Cranes on course for history or derail their ambitions early in the tournament.

A defeat would not only put the Uganda Cranes under immense pressure heading into the remaining group games but could also dampen fan enthusiasm. Ugandan fans are notoriously results-driven, a win keeps them coming, while a loss may see a reduction in the numbers in the stands. Therefore, Uganda Cranes must without fail use the home advantage to write history.

Morley Byekwaso as the head coach of the Uganda Cranes, his assistant Fred Muhumuza, and senior national team coach Paul Put acting in a supervisory role, have a 25-man squad which they have fine tuned for a full month. Now is the opportunity for these players to put into action what they have been learning in training.

Byekwaso has assured Uganda Cranes fans that the team has been prepared to the right shape and he is expecting nothing but a winning start to the tournament.

“The players and the technical team, we are ready to face Algeria. We know the threat they pose and as a result, we are ready to stop them. Our aim is to start the tournament with a win,” Byekwaso stated.

Uganda last faced Algeria at Namboole in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier match last year in June. Though both teams then included foreign-based stars in their squads unlike in CHAN which is exclusive to home-based players, Uganda still remembers very well how the North African giants dominated the second half of that encounter and punished them for their defensive mistakes to end up losing 2-1 having led the first half through Travis’s Mutyaba’s strike.

Several players from that encounter, including the current captain Allan Okello, Chrispas Kusiima, Joel Sserunjogi, Nicholas Mwere, and Patrick Kakande, are in tonight’s CHAN squad. Their experience and lessons from that loss could prove invaluable in this match.

Players likely to lead the Cranes

Allan Okello

He is arguably Uganda’s most gifted player in the tournament, he was the best performer last season with Vipers SC, where he scored 19 league goals and helped the club to win a domestic double. Famous for his left-footed magic, vision, and set-piece expertise especially penalties, Okello is expected to be the creative engine of the team. He previously played for KCCA, Paradou AC in Algeria, and the senior Cranes. Therefore, he brings huge international experience.

Yunus Sentamu

He is the most experienced player in the squad. He first announced himself at CHAN 2014 with three goals. 11 years later, he returns not just as a goal threat but also as a leader. Though he scored six goals last season for his club Vipers SC, his true value lies in his leadership, calm under pressure, and shining on the big stage.

Patrick Kakande

Arguably the most exciting young talent in the Uganda Premier League for the last two seasons, Kakande was instrumental in SC Villa’s title-winning season (2023-2024), the club’s first league crown in two decades. Combining pace, trickery, and fearlessness, the winger has a golden opportunity to announce himself to the continent and the rest of the world.

Jude Ssemugabi

The former Mbarara City and Kitara forward who is currently a free agent is quick, decisive, and always probing. His movements will be key to unsettling Algeria’s defence. He offers a different attacking dynamic and could play a critical role as either a creator or scorer.

Probable Starting XI (Uganda)

Joel Mutakubwa (GK); Gavin Kizito, Herbert Achai, Rogers Torach, Nicholas Mwere, Marvin Youngman, Joel Sserunjogi, Jude Ssemugabi, Allan Okello, Patrick Kakande, Yunus Sentamu.