Stars ready for confident Uganda
Ghana coach Avram Grant is not expecting an easy ride at the Africa Cup of Nations but says his charges are well prepared and motivated to execute a good Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Gabon with an ultimate ambition to win a fifth continental title.
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Grant, who led the team to finish as runners-up at the last tournament in Equatorial Guinea, says the tight nature of the qualifying matches have psyched up his players to expect tough encounters in Gabon, beginning with Tuesday’s clash with Uganda.
“There are no easy matches in Africa. Our target is to be tough for our opponents, to win every game we play. It’s not easy because Uganda are a good team,” said the Israeli trainer at a press conference Monday.
Similar sentiments were expressed by Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan who said the Stars were ready for the Ugandan threat despite the East Africans’ recent resurgence.
“There are no easy games in Africa. No disrespect to them but statistically we are ahead of them. If they beat us it is big news but if we beat them it is seen as normal.
“We’re not expecting an easy game but we’ll make sure we go out and do what we do best and come out victorious,” assured the Ghana captain.
For the Ghana coach, the team’s training camp in Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates was a successful one which created the right atmosphere to strategise for their campaign, particularly as the team has been pooled with Uganda and Egypt, two sides who have had good results against the Ghanaians in recent encounters.
“Our ultimate ambition is to win the tournament and we had good preparations in the Emirates. The players are in good shape and the team spirit is good,” said Grant.
The Cranes held the Stars to a scoreless draw in Tamale in a World Cup qualifier three months ago. It was a result which jolted Ghana’s World Cup qualifying campaign, but it also served as a wake-up call for the Gyan-led Stars who are aware the East Africans’ recent performances against Ghana will be a confidence booster ahead of today’s clash.
“All the players are united and positive for this tournament because we want to achieve something for ourselves and for Ghanaians.”
In fact, the Ugandan team are also exuding confidence ahead of the clash with their more experienced opponents, despite being absent from Africa’s showpiece event for nearly four decades.
For a side whose last romance with the AFCON came in 1978 when the Cranes lost 0-2 to Ghana in the final (almost four decades later) the Cranes are back in style and look a credible threat to Ghana’s ambitions in Gabon.
Uganda’s Serbian coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic, who masterminded the Cranes’ successful qualifying campaign and given the side’s self-belief, he is convinced they can hold their own against big sides such as Ghana, a team they had held to a draw twice on Ghanaian soil in the last two years.
“We have high regard for Ghana because of what they have achieved and what they continue to give to African football.
“As a competitor we want to show that we’re getting closer to them [Ghana]. History and sentiments will not play out … It is a new match,” he told reporters at a pre-match press conference Monday.
“Uganda has no experience; Ghana has experience but we have prepared well for this tournament because we want to reach the quarter-finals at least,” emphasized the Serbian who was very philosophical about his side’s return to the Nations Cup after 39 years’ absence.
“Ugandans have dreamt about it. Finally we are here. So many things you can escape but destiny you cannot escape. The last game of Uganda at the Cup of Nations was against Ghana and our first game after our return is against Ghana. We’re taking a step by step approach in this campaign,” he said.
Coach Micho knows that result of Tuesday’s match will be crucial to his team’s campaign so he kept tabs on the Stars during their training camp in the Emirates by sneaking into the stadium to spy on the team as Gyan and Frank Acheampong scored in Ghana’s 2-0 win over Uzbekistan side Bunyokdor in a warm-up game.
Traditional slow starters at tournaments, the Stars will have to get out of the blocks well and early and show their credentials as potential African champions, because the Ugandans do not look a side to be intimidated by Ghana’s richer Nations Cup credentials.
While many see this game as a revenge for the Stars, skipper Gyan has played down the effect of their last encounter in Tamale.
“We drew with them in a World Cup qualifier. They are a good side but we are a good side too, and this is a different competition all together.
“We want to win something for ourselves and players and for Ghana, but we will take it one game at a time. We are here for business,” noted the Stars skipper who will make his sixth Nations Cup appearance in Gabon.
Grant has no injury worries in camp and is expected to start the game with his trusted guns such as goalkeeper Braimah, Harrison Afful, Frank Acheampong, Afriyie Acquah, Jordan and Andre Ayew and Gyan.