Uganda draw giants Algeria

Uganda will have to contend with two-time African champions Algeria, neighbours Tanzania and Niger after the Cranes were drawn against the trio in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations last night.

This was at an event hosted by TV presenter Thomas Mlambo, with South African and Ivorian legends Lucas Radebe and Salomon Kalou drawing the lots at the posh SuperSport studios in Johannesburg.
Only Riyad Mahrez’s Algeria are ranked higher than Uganda in Group F, but when you consider that Tanzania is also a regional derby, it gets a little tight there.
Silently, Cranes coach Micho Sredojevic hoped to avoid North African opposition and a possible derby.

He got exactly that in a qualification campaign where the top two in each of the 12 groups, including hosts Ivory Coast, will qualify for the finals event due next year in June. “I personally believe that we have a very competitive group, keeping in mind that both Niger and Tanzania have representatives in the group stages of inter-club competitions, and the strength of Algeria as recent Afcon champions and Arab Cup winners,” said Micho. “When you look at everything, you would say Algeria are favourites, but I have strong hope that we shall succeed (at qualifying for Afcon 2023 finals).”
The Cranes are hoping to return to Africa’s biggest football showpiece after missing the last edition in Cameroon in January. Qualification matches will be played in June, September and next March.

 Uzbekistan trip
 Elsewhere, Micho defended his side’s trip to Uzbekistan last month saying it was the right move in the given circumstances.
The Cranes spent days in Uzbekistan during March’s Fifa international window, where they lost the final 4-2 to the hosts in this four-nation competition. Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan were the other countries.

“Unless, of course, you want us to only keep playing teams around us like, with all due respect Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Tanzania!” Micho said when asked if the trip was the best available option.
“First, the best 10 teams in Africa were involved in World Cup qualifying matches, and the likes of South Africa and Ivory Coast were playing top European countries.
“So to get a chance to play against Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, where all costs are covered by the hosts and Fufa paying for our air tickets, that is good for me.”

Micho added: “The quality we faced is also important. This Uzbekistan, you are talking about a country with some top class players like striker Eldor Shomurodov, who is playing for Jose Mourinho at AS Roma.” Shomurodov scored a hat-trick in that 4-2 win over Uganda. 

QUICK POINTERS

Who Qualifies. Winners and runners-up in each group except H qualify for 24-team finals in the Ivory Coast during June and July 2023

Privillege. Ivory Coast automatically qualify from Group H as tournament hosts, along with the highest placed of the other three teams

Eleventh Hour. Kenya and Zimbabwe are suspended by Fifa due to government interference in the running of the sport and they will be allowed to compete only if the bans are lifted by mid May

Boardroom Wait.Mauritius have protested a 4-3 aggregate loss to Sao Tome e Principe in the preliminary round and the outcome of a disciplinary hearing will decide which nation competes in Group A.

AFCON 2023 QUALIFYING DRAW 
Group A: Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome e Principe or Mauritius
Group B: Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Togo, Eswatini
Group C: Cameroon, Kenya, Namibia, Burundi
Group D: Egypt, Guinea, Malawi, Ethiopia
Group E: Ghana, Madagascar, Angola, Central African Republic
Group F: Algeria, Uganda, Niger, Tanzania
Group G: Mali, Congo Brazzaville, Gambia, South Sudan
Group H: Ivory Coast (hosts), Zambia, Comoros, Lesotho
Group I: Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Mauritania, Sudan
Group J: Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Botswana
Group K: Morocco, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Liberia
Group L: Senegal (holders), Benin, Mozambique, Rwanda
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