‘Uganda players ready to prove they deserve places in Chan’ – Mawejje

Uganda midfielder Tony Mawejje has stated his colleagues are prepared and ready for the pre-African Nations Championship (Chan) tournament and eventually the competition itself.

Cranes were invited for the mini-tournament alongside hosts Cameroon, Zambia and Niger. The experienced midfielder has further confirmed every player is ready and psyched up for the matches.

“All the players are in great condition,” Mawejje, who has made 83 appearances for the East Africa nation said.

“Obviously we travelled well and have been able to have our first training session here in Cameroon.

“The mood in the camp is tremendous, the boys are bouncing and are giving their all in training. The attitude and mentality are superb. You can see that everyone is in peak condition and we look determined to take on the task as we continue with our preparations. 

“We cannot wait for the tournament underway because the players are bracing to go out there and prove they deserved their spot on the team.”

Cranes will start their campaign on Friday against the Indomitable Lions on Friday, December 1. 

They will then return to action on January 4 against Mulitin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic’s Zambia before concluding with a game against Niger on January 7.

Uganda are among the teams invited for the mini-tournament, which will be used by most of the participating teams to gauge their preparedness ahead of the Chan tournament that will also be held in Cameroon.

Cameroon have been pooled in Group A of the Chan tournament with Mali, Burkina Faso, and Zimbabwe while Group B comprises Libya, DR Congo, Congo, and Niger.

Group C has Morocco, Rwanda, Uganda, and Togo while Group D has Zambia, Guinea, Namibia, and Tanzania. Two top teams will make it to the knockout phase.

The Cranes, who will be taking part in their fifth consecutive Chan tournament after featuring in 2011, 2014, 2016, and 2018 editions, will face Rwanda on January 18 at the Stade de Unification in Douala, before tackling Togo on January 22 at the same venue.

The final group game will be on January 26 against Morocco.

KCCA Players will be joining their colleagues for the tournament after their Caf Confederation Cup game with As Kigali.