McKinstry: Cranes returning can help us come together

by Graeme Jackson

Friday Aug 21, 2020. 11:00

Uganda national team coach Jonathan McKinstry says the return of international football will help the country come together after the difficulties faced in the coronavirus pandemic.

The Cranes, and all other teams involved in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, are set to return to action with two fixtures in November.

Uganda are top of Group B in the qualifiers, having recorded a 0-0 draw away to Burkina Faso and a 2-0 home win over Malawi in back-to-back matches in November 2019.

“There is no doubt in my mind that the COVID-19 pandemic has placed huge stress and pressures on people in all over the world but especially here in Uganda,” McKinstry told FUFA’s official website.

“The majority of the people work on a daily salary and so for a period of time, they were not able to go to work, it was really a challenging situation. But, the people abided by the regulations in order to keep themselves, their friends, families and the country safe.

“Hopefully now, we are over the worst of the pandemic and hopefully, we can now start edging towards normalcy. And the people can get back to not just what they used to, but also enjoy their social time like they used to and part of that is coming back to the sporting arenas, stadia whether supporting the Uganda Premier League or the national team (Uganda Cranes).

“We look forward to be able to step to Namboole again and we really hope that sports is going to be the opportunity to celebrate and come together after difficult time. We are looking forward to November, not just a celebration but ensuring that Uganda Cranes qualifies for the AFCON for the third time in a row.”