The Uganda Men’s Futsal Team, the Nile Cranes, will face off with Somalia today at 6pm at Old Kampala Futsal Arena. The two teams will again meet on Saturday 22 July, 2023 in only their third ever meeting.
All the selected players for both teams are the ones who featured in the recently concluded 2022/23 Futsal Super League.
Head Coaches Ready for Battle
Muhammad Ssembatya, the head coach of Uganda’s selected team, is ready for the game.
“We have had different training sessions, we have no injuries and my boys are very ready to take on the opponents,” he said.
Somalia’s head coach Abdullah Ahmed believes that there’s a lot of positives to take from the game.
“We are not playing only to entertain and win, but also to give exposure to the players. Playing this friendly game will inspire other Somalia players to join the game,” he started.
Ahmed also talked about training and playing on different surfaces.
“We train on different surface from where we’re going to play from but we know and we have mastered Futsal basics and we have players who are capable of beating any opponent,” he concluded.
Uganda Seeking Revenge for 2018 Loss
The two select teams will be facing for the second time with Somalia being victorious in the first meeting, beating Uganda 5-3 back in 2018.
The Nile Cranes will be looking to avenge that loss and claim bragging rights in the third meeting between the two teams.
Key Players to Watch
There are a number of key players to watch in this match. For Uganda, look out for Julius Kassaga, Andrew Kanyanga, and Eddie Ssebandeke.
These three players are all experienced campaigners and will be key to the Cranes’ chances of victory.
For Somalia, keep an eye out for Sabir Abdirizak, Samole Awale, and Abdihamid Dahir.
These three players are all talented youngsters who have the potential to make a big impact in this match.
Who Will Win?
This is a tough match to call. Both teams are evenly matched and it could go either way.
However, the Cranes have home advantage and they will be looking to use that to their advantage.
Courtesy Photos
