AFCON: Museveni tasks football body to improve diet of Uganda Cranes

Uganda’s president Yoweri Museveni has advised the country’s football association to improve the diet and training of the national team, ahead of the country’s crucial Nations Cup qualifier match against Lesotho.

Museveni, who met the team on Tuesday after officiating the country’s independence anniversary celebrations said he had noticed that ‘their shots were lacking in power’ in Gabon.

‘‘I hope the managers can do something about the diet and training to ensure the players are stronger, like the late David Otii was,’‘ the president advised.

The Uganda Cranes, as the national football team is called, qualified for the 2017 Nations Cup in Gabon, after an agonising 39-year absence from the continent’s biggest football tournament.

In Gabon, the team was eliminated at the group stage after managing a 1-1 draw against Mali and sustaining slim 0-1 losses against Ghana and Egypt.

Uganda is topping the standings in the Cameroon AFCON 2019 qualifying Group L, with 4 points. Other teams in the group are Tanzania and Cape Verde.

‘‘I hope the team maintains their top spot and qualifies for the 2019 championship in Cameroon,’‘ the president added as he announced government’s financial and logistical support to the team.

Museveni pledged to charter a plane to transport the team to Lesotho for the qualifier match next week, adding that each player will ‘receive a token of appreciation’.