Burkinabe coach praises Cranes, but wants three points

Paulo Duarte, Burkina Faso head coach during an interview after training on 28 March 2016 at Mandela Stadium, Namboole. Photo by Ismail Kezaala. 

In Summary

There are 13 groups in the 2017 Afcon qualifiers. Group leaders will qualify automatically, with the best two second-ranked sides joining them to make 15. Gabon, the 16th team, already qualified by virtual of being hosts

KAMPALA.
Paulo Duarte, the Burkina Faso coach, believes Uganda are a good side and deserve all the respect they can get.

The Portuguese talked about Cranes players in glowing terms after Monday night’s training session at Namboole but was conclusive on what exactly brought the Stallions here. “Three points,” he told Daily Monitor.

“Win. Win is good.” Pressed on whether he would welcome a point in a stadium Uganda have lost just once in 11 years, he relented, but just partly: “One point is not bad but we don’t want one point. We want the three points but after the game we can see what is good.”

The one area he was generous in was his assessment of the Cranes players. “You have good players,” he said, “You have the striker Massa (Geoffrey), you know. He is not young but is very strong.
“You have the 17 (jersey number), playing in Belgium (Farouk Miya), and for me, the left defender (Joseph Ochaya) is very good. Technique!

“You have number six (Tonny Mawejje), very strong in the operation of the ball, you have Kizito (Luwagga) playing in Portugal…
“It’s a good team. For me when we speak about a good team, it’s the collective. Football and technique. Not just the names of the players but it’s the strong team.
“And this team, Uganda, have this. It’s very strong in creative, very strong in one-for-one, very strong in counter attack, but also us Burkina Faso we have all that.”

Duarte’s ammunition including Aristide Bance, Chelsea’s Bertrand Traore and goal scorer in Ouagadougou, Jonathan Pitroipa, among others all participated in the training at Namboole.
Burkina Faso Stallions beat the Cranes 1-0 in Ouagadougou at the weekend and will hope to pick more points here to consolidate their leadership of Group D.
The Stallions, Cranes and Botswana all have six points apiece but Burkina Faso have a better head-to-head. Botswana and Comoros have, however, played one game more than Uganda and Burkina Faso. There are 13 groups in the 2017 Afcon qualifiers. Group leaders will qualify automatically, with the best two second-ranked sides joining them to make 15. Gabon, the 16th team, already qualified by virtual of being hosts.

amwanguhya@ug.nationmedia.com