Uganda desperate for home success against Malawi

Denis Onyango of Uganda

Saturday Nov 16, 2019. 15:00

Uganda coach Johnny McKinstry has targeted a home victory qwhen his side host Malawi in their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Sunday.

The Cranes were held to a 0-0 draw by Burkina Faso in their opener, a good away point, and a victory in their second game would make it a solid start to their bid to reach the finals in Cameroon.

“We shall do what is required to get the points we need,” he told reporters. “We earned a point against Burkina Faso and playing at home against Malawi will be completely different.

“We want hungry players. Players who will fight for the shirt. It will be a difficult challenge against Malawi. It will be a tough encounter but we are ready for the best game.”

McKinstry joined Uganda after the Nations Cup finals in Egypt and is looking forward to a first competitive match in front of his home fans.

“I have been looking forward my first game in Uganda. I expect an electric stadium. There is pressure to perform and we like it. We look forward the game. We expect a full backing from the fans.”

Goalkeeper and captain Dennis Onyango has echoed those thoughts and spoken of the hunger among the players to reach a third successive Nations Cup tournament.

“The Uganda Cranes players are hungry for success and to perform. Even [Lionel] Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo, who are the best players in the world, are still hungry for more. Even us, the Uganda Cranes players are still yearning for more glory.

“We managed to get a point away from Burkina Faso which was a great plus. That is now behind us. The focus is now against Malawi. We played against them last year and it was a goalless draw.

“It is a different game now. We have the firepower now. We need to win our home games.”