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Afcon 2023: Cranes set for anyone
Uganda Cranes coach Micho Sredojevic
Uganda will be pitted against any of the top 10 teams in Africa when lots for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations finals are drawn today.
African top ranked nations including champions Senegal, Morocco, Nigeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Cameroon, Ghana and Algeria are in Pot 1. Others are Mali, hosts Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and DR Congo.
Sixteen-ranked Uganda are in Pot 2 alongside South Africa, Benin, Kenya, Cape Verde and Gabon among others. Pots 3 and 4 have lower ranked nations in that order.
The 48 countries will be drawn into twelve groups of four teams, from which the best 24 will qualify for the finals in Ivory Coast.
“Unfortunately we are not in Pot 1, but we are ready to take on anyone drawn against us,” Uganda Cranes coach Micho Sredojevic told this publication ahead of the draw.
“We know we can compete against anyone and in draws like this, you really have no choice. You just have to accept what comes your way and then prepare for the specific challenge.”
Forty-two teams entered this stage of the draw directly while six others had to win their preliminary round to make it.
Uganda will remember that they failed to make the best 24 teams that qualified to Cameroon this year, and will be aware not to take this particular edition of qualification lightly.
Before the last failed Cameroon campaign, the Cranes had successively qualified for Egypt 2019 and Gabon 2017, and before that a four-decade absence.
Ivory Coast case
According to Micho, the Cranes will play a friendly match or two after the draw, the choice dependent on the kind of opponents they will get.
Afcon 2023 hosts, Ivory Coast, will participate in the qualifiers with the team guaranteed a spot in the finals regardless of its ranking in the group.
Their matches and results will count in determining the qualification of the other teams from their group.
However, should the Ivory Coast fail to finish in the top two of their group, the worst-ranked team among the group runners-up will not qualify for the final tournament.
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