Monday, October 3
•Uganda Vs Burundi – 1pm
•Ethiopia Vs Somalia
Uganda will be hoping for a perfect start when they face Burundi as the U17 Africa Cup of Nations Zonal Qualifiers finally get underway in Ethiopia.
The tournament was due to kickoff on October 1 in Addis Ababa but that never came to pass due a couple of challenges.
For starters, two nations Rwanda and Eritrea pulled out. Then later, Sudan and Djibouti were disqualified after some of their players failed the mandatory Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests that determine the right age.
The draws were redone, and consequently, Uganda were pitted in Group B alongside Burundi and South Sudan.
The other group (A) has Ethiopia, Somalia and Tanzania.
The best two teams from each group will qualify for the semi finals. The two finalists will qualify to represent the region in the U-17 AFCON 2023 in Algeria.
“The boys are mentally and physically ready for the tournament. Since we entered camp, the players have been improving and the several practice games played put them in the perfect shape,” Uganda U17 coach Hamza Lutalo said recently.
Uganda have won the previous two editions of the Zonal Qualifiers in CECAFA Region and will be the team to beat alongside hosts Ethiopia.
