Patrick Kaddu of Uganda v Dr Congo

Cecafa Challenge Cup: Uganda must not underrate Somalia - McKinstry

Ugandan coach Johnny McKinstry has warned his charges to be wary of Somalia when the two sides clash in a Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup match on Monday.

The Cranes won their Group A opener after upsetting Burundi 2-1 and a win against Somalia will seal their place in the semi-finals of the competition.

Against Burundi, the Cranes who are also the record champions (14 titles) of the regional tournament, saw Bright Anukani and Fahad Bayo score in the eighth and 21 minutes, respectively. Cedric Rurasenga scored a consolation goal for Burundi in the 60th minute. 

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Speaking ahead of their match against Somalia, the Northern Irish coach has said his side should not underrate Somalia.

“Many people are saying Somalia is a small team and we will beat them with a huge margin,” McKinstry told Goal.

“I just want to warn people and my players Somalia have greatly improved in recent years and they have a very strong squad, so it will be wrong to underrate them. They are a strong force and deserve total respect.

“They have in their squad some foreign players who play in Europe and even Canada, and we cannot underrate them. We must be ready to face them and will stick to our style of play.”

Uganda are in group A alongside Eritrea, Somalia, Djibouti, and Burundi, while group B is comprised of Tanzania, Sudan, Kenya, and Zanzibar.     

Kenya’s Harambee Stars beat Zanzibar 3-2 on post-match penalties after 2-2 draw to win the last edition in 2017.

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