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How Shaban put Cranes dream back on track
Shaban scored the decisive goal. PHOTO/JOHN BATANUDDE
What you need to know:
A run of three wins in six games and two wins and a loss in three competitive games is the Belgian’s record since taking charge of the Cranes last year.
The jury is still out on this new-look Cranes and their head coach Paul Put.
A run of three wins in six games and two wins and a loss in three competitive games is the Belgian’s record since taking charge of the Cranes last year.
But confidence in his team is slowly building following a 1-0 win over Botswana as the Cranes put their 2026 World Cup dream back on track.
The result propelled the Cranes to six points and level with leaders Algeria who they play today and Guinea while Mozambique are just behind on goal difference in the six-team group that also includes Botswana and Somalia.
The result leaves Group G wide open after Guinea curtailed Algeria’s perfect start with a 2-1 win as match-day three concluded.
That result coupled with the Cranes win on Friday means there is cause for optimism following the circumstances leading up to the game and ahead of the Cranes next fixture against Algeria.
“The boys did very well, had a lot of possession but in the first half we didn’t create enough open chances and were not present enough in the last zone," Put told the post-match presser
"But you have to understand that lots of the players have come in at the last minute even this morning so it has been complicated for us working with just16 players.."
Put also pointed to a much-changed squad from when he picked up the baton in November’s 2-1 loss to Guinea.
Muhammad Shaban, who turned in Dennis Omedi’s cross at the near post, was out of the picture at the time with the former an unused substitute in that game against Guinea.
But like Put stated, there is lots of potential in the team with a lot expected from attacking combinations of playmakers Travis Mutyaba and Allan Okello.
And while the latter was lacklustre and substituted at half time on the day, the will to field both players at the start spoke of the will to play on the front foot.
“We are the Pearl of Africa but the pearl is not polished yet
I was hoping we'd have the same group of players for the Guinea, Ghana and Somalia games and the ones we have now but that was not possible,” Put stated.
The return of international football to Namboole for the first time in five years can also be pointed out as one of the reasons for a slow start.
Only five of the 23-man match-day squad had ever started a senior Cranes competitive fixture for the Cranes at Namboole.
Despite the stadium not being full, there were clear signs of jitters from players such as Halid Lwaliwa with the impressive debutant Elio Capradossi the only exception.
