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Recently, Uganda Cranes coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic bemoaned the poor quality of strikers available ahead of the team’s must-win Africa Cup of Nations against Niger.
The team must win the match, which means scoring a goal or more for any hopes of qualifying.
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On the other hand, Ugandans must engage in heavy prayers that Algeria can beat Tanzania as the Cranes sort their own business.
The coach told the newsmen on a lighter note that Uganda may need to resurrect the late Majid Musisi to get a solution for the striking problems.
Uganda Cranes has scored only three goals in the five qualifiers and conceded twice the number.
Indeed, the statistics from the last 12 qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers that have been played since the new millennium are appalling.
We look at the top strikers since the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations;
4. Faruku Miya, Emmanuel Okwi & Geoffrey Sserunkuma (4 goals)
With four goals each, Geoffrey Sserunkuma, Faruku Miya and captain Emmanuel Okwi are tied for fourth position.
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If Micho had any hopes here, then Miya is the only player who is currently with the team in Morocco. The forward scored the historical goal against Comoros that broke the 39-year absence at Africa’s showpiece.
He scored three more in the run to the Egypt 2019 qualification but has been blowing hot and mostly cold. Miya played a key role with the defence-splitting pass to find Rogers Mato for Uganda’s only goal in the 1-0 win in Tanzania.
Okwi has been ruled out for Thursday’s game due to injury.
3. Hassan Mubiru (7 goals)
Mubiru easily passes as one of the best strikers of recent times.
Mubiru’s best year in the Uganda Cranes shirt was when he scored four goals in the 2002 qualifiers.
The striker scored three in a 5-2 aggregate win over Malawi, with two coming away in Blantyre.
2. Geoffrey Massa (10 goals)
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The former Uganda Cranes skipper is the last of his kind in that famous red and black. Geoffrey Massa made official Senior debut on the Cranes in 2005 in the 2-0 defeat against Ghana in the 2006 Fifa World Cup qualifiers.
He went on to make over 60 appearances, scoring more than 20 goals, with half of them in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
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The number nine retired after guiding Uganda to the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.
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1. David Obua (12 goals)
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He is not called the King for nothing! David Obua is the ultimate king of goals in this millennium.
The former Uganda Cranes skipper was controversial in his own measures but was the undisputed king in front of goal.
Despite never qualifying for the biggest showpiece on the continent, Obua scored a dozen goals, with nine of them coming in the 2006 and 2008 qualifiers.
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