Cecafa U17: Lutalo Reveals How Uganda Will Fight Ethiopia

Uganda Cubs head coach Hamuza Lutalo has revealed how they plan to face Ethiopia in the Cecafa U17 Championship game on Friday at Umuganda Stadium in Rwanda.

The Cubs have already qualified for the semi-final after their big 5-0 win over Kenya on matchday two and Lutalo has insisted they must treat the Ethiopia game with the seriousness it deserves.

Uganda is seen as one of the favorite teams to win the title, especially given the performance of their older brothers.

The Cranes are the reigning champions as well as the U-20 team, which defeated Tanzania in December to claim the title in Arusha.

If Uganda loses to Ethiopia, it will finish second in Group A, which also has Kenya like other rivals.

“I know what our second game on Friday means to us, we will not take anything for granted,” Lutalo explained before the game, as quoted by the Fufa website.

“Yes, we know that we have already qualified for the semi-finals, but we will treat each match in a special way possible. We have to give him the maximum attention and the best shot when parading our best players on the battlefront. “

For his part, Ethiopia coach Endrias Berhanu Woldamanuel said they will fight for victory to secure a place in the penultimate stage.

“We need a good result to qualify for the semi-final and Uganda should expect a very difficult challenge,” said Woldamanuel. Cecafa Online.

“I saw them beat Kenya 5-0 and I know what to expect and how to counter their threat.”

Ethiopia and Uganda met in 2018 in the same tournament and the Cubs were 3-1 winners in Tanzania at the time.

A small loss, a draw or a win is sure to guarantee Ethiopia a place in the next phase and is likely to offer the Cubs the toughest game yet.

The Cecafa U17 semi-finals will be played on Sunday while the play-off for third place and the final will be played on December 22.

The finalists will be guaranteed a place in the U-17 African Cup of Nations tournament to be held in Morocco in March 2021.