The coach of the Cranes of Uganda, Paul Put, has said his team will be going all out for victory against the Super Eagles tomorrow so as to stay alive in the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.
Uganda are bottom of Group C with a point from two matches, but could boost their chances of reaching the knockout rounds of the competition with a win over the leaders Nigeria in a final group game.
“We play a very strong team. It will be difficult but I believe in my players,” said Belgian coach Put, who has been working in Africa for the past 20 years.
“We have to go for it and we will do it.
“Nigerians play at a high level in Europe, so we have to be very concentrated, very prepared and win our duels, which is one of the strong points of Nigeria.
“What is important is that you don’t concede and that you’re patient and that you use your quality to make the difference.
“We have the players who can make the difference.”
Paul Put said his team go into tomorrow’s game with “a good feeling” even though they could have beaten regional rivals Tanzania but failed to put away a last-minute penalty,
“In football, self-belief is very important,” he said.
“We have a good feeling going into this game. To face Nigeria, you have to have to have such good feeling, be confident.”
Put led Burkina Faso to an historic AFCON final in 2013 in South Africa, where they lost to the Super Eagles by the odd goal.
Uganda enjoy a better head-to-head record against Nigeria having won four times as against the two by the Super Eagles.
The first and only time both teams clashed at the AFCON was in 1978 in Ghana and Uganda won 2-1.
