CHAN 2020 Finals: Tuesday 26, 20201. Match Day 3, Uganda 2-5 Morocco, Togo 2-3 Rwanda
The Uganda National Football Team, the ‘Cranes’ bowed out of the 2020 African Nations Championships (CHAN) following a 5:2 defeat to defending champions Morocco in the last match of Group C.
The defeat lagged Cranes at the bottom of group c with only a point earned in the inaugural 0:0 draw with neighbors Rwanda, but two successive defeats to Togo (1:2) and Morocco (2:5) dented Cranes hope of making it out of the CHAN group stages for the first time ever.
Vipers SC midfielder Ibrahim Orit opened the scoring for the Cranes in the 25th Minute with a rocket strike outside the box but was cancelled when KCCA defender Mustafa Mujuzi conceded a penalty in the added minutes of first half.
Ayoub El Khabi scored a beauty from the spot in the 45+4′ minute to give the Champions a leveler at the break.
The Cranes the started shaggily at the start of second half and in the 51st Minute, Soufiane Rahimi pounced on a mistake from Cranes defence to put Morocco ahead with a 2:1 lead.
20 Minutes later, leftback Hamza El Moussaoui put the champions ahead in the 71st Minute which dented the hopes of Cranes of making it out of the group.
Soufianne, who was named Man of the Match completed his brace in the 81 with a thriller from the box all resulting from a slackening defensive display from the Cranes centerbacks.
Uganda pulled a consolation in the 84th minute when URA FC Midfielder Said Kyeyune scored a thunderbolt from a freekick to put the scoreline at 4:2, but an own goal from Charles Lukwago in the 90th minute was all to flatten the scoresheet at 2:5 Fulltime in favor of Morocco.
Elsewhere in the group, Rwanda secured second spot in Group C to make it out of the group stages following a 3:2 win over tournament debutantes Togo to put them at 5 points.
Togo and Uganda earned the 3rd and 4th spot with 4 and 1 points respectively as they both exited the tournament.
Uganda Cranes XI: Charles Lukwago (GK), Denis Iguma, Aziz Kayondo, Denis Iguma, Halid Lwaliwa (C), Shafik Kagimu, Saidi Kyeyune, Bright Anukani, Vianney Ssekajugo, Ibrahim Orit, Brian Aheebwa
Subs: Tom Ikara (GK), Hassan Muhamood, Eric Ssenjobe, Tonny Mawejje, Ojera Joackiam, Paul Willa, Joel Mutakubwa (GK), Legason Nafiani Alionzi, Bobosi Byaruhanga, Paul Mbowa, Abdul Watambala
Morocco XI: Anas Zniti (GK), Omar Namsaoui, Hamza El Moussaoui, Mohammed Ali Bemammer, Soufiane Bouftini, Abdelmounaim Boutouil, Adam Ennaffati, Yahya Jabrane, Ayoub El Kaabi (C), Reda Jaadi, Soufiane Rahimi
Subs: Mohamed Amsif (GK), Zouhair Laaroubi (GK), El Mehdi Karnass, Ismail Mokadem, Zakaria Hadraf, Larbi Naji, Walid El Karti, Abdellah Khafifi, Reda Slim, Ismail Khafi, Noah Wail
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