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It is worrying to be in a position the Cranes find themselves in when there is no striker you can count on for a goal.
The top scorer from the just-concluded Startimes Uganda Premier season was Allan Kayiwa, who predominantly operates on the wings.
He scored 13 goals for Express and was closely followed by SC Villa’s Charles Bbaale, who netted 12 as the Jogoos put up a spirited fight for glory.
Rogers Mato scored four against Soltilo Bright Stars to finish the season with 11, while Fred Amaku (10), Milton Karia (9), Sharif Kimbowa (9) and Innocent Media (9) followed.
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Generally, it could have been a better return for the strikers, and questions must be asked as to whether Uganda has plans to improve our play in the final third of the pitch.
The 13 goals by Kayiwa are five fewer than what Ceaser Manzoki got to take the boot in the previous season, and Ugandan strikers continue to struggle at their day job.
But when all is said and done, the Only League That Matters should be able to produce some of these strikers for the Uganda Cranes.
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13:33 - 08.06.2023
FOOTBALL Where are the goals in the final Uganda Cranes team?
Mato scored, who scored four against Soltilo Bright Stars on the final day of the season, ended up with 11 and, incidentally, was the last player to score a goal for the Cranes.
There are strikers with potential in the league, but for some reason, they will not be considered for national duty, and that should be cause for concern.
If they are not good enough, maybe playing alongside those considered to be Uganda’s finest will help them improve.
Statistics show that Okwi has only scored three goals for his club Erbil in Iraq.
And he last scored for the Uganda Cranes in 2019.
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12:30 - 08.06.2023
AFCON 2023 Top ten Uganda Premier League players to miss Micho's squad
Uganda Cranes head coach Milutin 'Micho' Sredojevic named his final squad for the Africa Cup qualifier against Algeria, slated for Doula in Cameroon on June 18.
On the other hand, Fahad Bayo has only got two goals in 14 matches for his side MFK Vyškov in Czech National Football League.
The two strikers will lead the search for goals, but their returns in previous engagements suggest there is no guarantee they will deliver.
Only Milton Karisa and Rogers Mato have scored for the Cranes in this particular campaign, and these are not out-and-out strikers.
Football is a team sport, and it might not matter who puts the ball in the back of the net, but in the end, strikers must be able to do their day job.
08:45 - 08.06.2023
AFCON 2023 Q Mukundane, Opondo, Watenga dropped as Micho names Uganda Cranes team to face Algeria
Milutin 'Micho' Sredojevic has named the Uganda Cranes team to face Algeria in the 2023 AFCON qualifier MD5.
Rodri might have scored the goal that won Manchester City their first Champions League, but Erling Haaland’s goals throughout the season cannot be ignored.
Head coach Milutin Sredojevic must be tasked with identifying these strikers and actually giving them a chance to thrive.
Nelson Ssenkatuka and Muhammad Shaban are the other forwards who can be lethal in front of goal, but their time with the Cranes continues to be an on-and-off affair.
It is worrying to be in a position the Cranes find themselves in when there is no striker you can count on for a goal.
Team manager Geoffrey Massa had his time when he guaranteed the team goals as a player, and I wonder what he thinks when he looks around the current squad.
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11:05 - 09.06.2023
FOOTBALL Emmanuel Okwi: We are willing to put our bodies on the line
The Cranes are third in Group F, level on four points with Tanzania and two ahead of bottom side Niger.
And that the team is also without players like Allan Okello and Bright Anukani is an indicator that Micho will not be looking at creativity through the channels.
It is more of staying compact and hitting the opponent on the counter through the wings that have Karisa and Mato.
Faruku Miya’s assist for Mato’s goal in Dar es Salam was a beauty, and strikers would need that and more to score.
But how many such passes do the Cranes produce in an entire campaign? Only a few.
And Micho and FUFA must be deliberate about these things. Judge these strikers by their numbers, and let us see how far they go.
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12:29 - 08.06.2023
FOOTBALL Gor Mahia trio left out of Uganda Cranes AFCON qualifiers squad
Cranes will host Algeria on 18th June at Japoma Stadium in Douala, Cameroon.
Hopefully, Okwi and Bayo will get the goals against Algeria to help the Cranes stay on track in the qualifiers, but ultimately, the locally-based strikers will need trust and faith from the manager.
They will and can only improve while playing.
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