Uganda Cubs coach Laryea Kingston has called for consistency over 90 minutes as his side face Ethiopia in the CECAFA U-17 Zonal Qualifiers semi-final on Saturday at Kigali Pelé Stadium. A place in the final and a ticket to the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations are on the line.
Kingston is confident but insists his players must respect their opponents and stick to the game plan. “With a ticket to the AFCON at stake, both teams are coming up to make sure they get a win in that game,” he said.
Uganda finished top of Group B with four points, ahead of Ethiopia on goal difference. The Cubs opened with an 8-0 demolition of Burundi before drawing 1-1 with Ethiopia on October 14.
Ethiopia also collected four points, having beaten Burundi 3-0 before sharing the spoils with Uganda. Zemichael Minyahel, Akrem Abduselam and Abdisa Gutema scored against Burundi, while Minyahel was on target against the Cubs.
Arnold Kayemba scored Uganda’s equaliser in the group-stage meeting, setting up another contest between the sides, this time with a place in the final at stake.
Kingston is keen to avoid a repeat of Uganda’s slow start against Ethiopia in last year’s semi-final, when the Cubs eventually won 3-0. “Last year was very competitive. We did not start the game well. The first half wasn’t too good. In the second half, we started controlling the game the way we wanted,” he said.
The coach believes Uganda have improved since the start of the tournament and hopes that progress will show against Ethiopia. “When you look at the two games we played, you can see improvement in the performance. Individually, the players are growing, and collectively, the team is much better,” he said.
Despite Uganda’s strong record against their opponents, Kingston expects a tough encounter and has warned his players not to underestimate Ethiopia. “They have a very good team and have played very good football. We’ve managed to see all their games. They are a team that can hurt any opponent, so we need to be very careful,” he said.
Uganda’s progress has also been reflected in the selection of five players in the group-stage best XI, an achievement Kingston believes rewards their hard work. These five players are left-back Ukasha Jemba, midfielders Henry Muhoozi and Arnold Kayemba and forwards...
Source: Kawowo Sports
