Both Ugandan and the South African national leagues do not begin their 2024/25 football season until mid September.
As such, Belgian coaches Paul Put of Uganda and South Africa’s Hugo Broos are enduring headaches of player match fitness ahead of the two countries Afcon 2025 clash this Friday.
The Cranes and Bafafa Bafana, who meet at Orlando Stadium at 7pm Ugandan time, are in Group K alongside Congo Brazzaville and South Sudan. Only the top two will qualify for Morocco Afcon 2025.
While only eight of Put’s 28-man squad, which is also missing Kenneth Ssemakula and Halid Lwaliwa through reported visa hiccups, are home based, majority of it have generally hardly had competitive action.
Local based players have only had some playing time in the season curtain rising Fufa Super 8, while a few others from SC Villa and Kitara have accrued some mileage from the two continental games they each played.
Other foreign based Cranes players, some of whom have as well played a game or two in the continental club competitions, have also not had as much action since most leagues have just kicked off.
Broos and South Africa have also had the same issues as Uganda above, with their stars only playing in the MTN8 and just a little on the continent.
South Africa coach Hugo Broos. PHOTO/COURTESY
The mental, beauty and ugly
Compared to Uganda, 92 per cent of Broos 23-man squad all play their football at home, with only four plying their trade abroad.
So, largely – with domestic leagues not in action yet in both countries, both coaches will heavily rely on mental strength and muscle memory to grind out a result on Friday.
No wonder Broos, who also misses both his captain and vice captain Ronwen William and Percy Tau through injury, has issued an early caution to South Africans that Friday may not be that pretty after all.
“I have already said that you can’t always win games by playing good football, and perhaps against Uganda it will be such a game,” Broos told South African media.
“I know the coach of Uganda ( Paul Put) very well because he’s from Belgium. He’s a good coach, so it won’t be easy for us.
“But if we can find the good mentality – like we have shown it in very difficult situations – we can count on it when we need it in such games.
“If we can’t find the solution by winning the game through playing good football, then hopefully we can go to our mentality – that is fighting.”
The Belgian also seemed to have done his homework on the Cranes.
“Uganda is a very athletic team, big guys with big hearts, fighting for every ball. It won’t be different on Friday. It’s up to us to compete against that as well.
“Quality-wise we are the better team but that won’t be enough on Friday. I am confident, though, that we can win games with a good mentality.”
On their part, the Cranes have been arriving in Johannesburg in batches from their different bases, and are accommodated at Radisson Red Hotel.
Put’s men put in their first training on Monday and will continue to acclimatise through the week until Friday when they begin a journey to the tournament they last competed in at the 2019 edition in Egypt.
Sept 5: Congo vs South Sudan
Sept 6: South Africa vs Uganda
Sept 10: South Africa vs South Sudan
Oct 6: Uganda vs South Sudan
Oct 6: South Africa vs Congo
Oct 14: South Sudan vs Uganda
Oct 14: Congo vs South Africa
Nov 10: South Sudan vs Congo
Nov 10: Uganda vs South Africa
Nov 18: South Africa vs South Sudan
*** All Cranes home matches will be played at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole***
