Uganda’s national football under-20 team, nicknamed the Hippos, signalled their readiness for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Finals by drawing with Egypt in a friendly match played Monday, February 13 in Cairo.
John Paul Dembe scored for the Hippos before Apollo Kakogwe (own goal) equalized for the Egyptians in a closely-contested game played at the Military Academy Olympic stadium.
It was a warm up game for the Hippos as they prepare for the AFCON Finals to be hosted by Egypt between February 19 and March 11.
The Hippos are pooled with Congo Brazzaville, South Sudan and the Central African Republic (CAR) in Group B for the AFCON tournament. They will be based in the port city of Ismailia where the team was due to arrive on Tuesday evening.
Speaking after Monday’s draw with Egypt, Hippos’ head coach Jackson Mayanja praised his boys’ performance.
“The boys are ready for the tournament; we only have a few things to fine tune in the coming days,” Mayanja, a former Uganda Cranes and KCC FC skipper, stated.
Indeed, all eyes will be on the Hippos at this year’s AFCON Finals following their impressive performance at the last tournament.
In 2021, the Hippos lost (0-2) in the AFCON final to Ghana, the defending champions. So, will the Hippos live up to the billing in Egypt?
Ahmed Hussein Marsha, a director at Bright Stars Academy and FUFA spokesman, says the Hippos have the experience to win the tournament this time round.
“After winning back-to-back regional CECAFA titles (2021and 2022), this team has all ingredients and exposure to excel at any level. They are well organized and facilitated so there will not be any excuses,” Marsha said in an interview on Tuesday, February 14.
It is also worth noting that the team boosts of a wealth of both talented and internationally exposed players such as skipper Isma Mugulisi, who plies his trade with Makedonikos FC in Greece and Ibrahim Juma from Leganes CD in Spain. There are also dozen players on the squad featuring for top clubs such as Vipers, KCCA FC, Wakiso Giants and SC Villa in the StarTimes Uganda Premier League.