Sredojević, The African Experience Available to Uganda

September 5. 2021

• Uganda tied with Kenya in the first round

• The Ugandans will host Mali in the second round

• Sredojevic talks about his team’s chances in the qualifiers

Uganda has not participated in the final stage of the African Nations Cup since 1978, so it has not participated in the continental competition in 29 years. Destiny decided that he would return to the most distinguished football tournament in Africa under the leadership of Milutin Sredojevic.

FIFA.com He spoke with the Serbian coach, who recently returned to take charge of the Uganda national team to play in the World Cup qualifiers.

“This is the third time that I train in Uganda, the first was with Villa Sports Club, and we achieved excellent results thanks to some players being able to travel abroad, then I returned to coach the national team in 2013. We continue to work on the development of the team, and we reaped the fruits in 2017, By qualifying for the final stage of the African Cup. It was a historic achievement for the country,” referring to his first experience with the Ugandan national team.

“This new appointment as coach is the biggest challenge in my entire career as a manager, especially as the team is in transition. Captain Denis Onyango has announced his retirement from the national team. In this preliminary competition we need time to gain experience and practice. With positive results we will be able to rebuild the team.” .

complex group

Uganda will compete in a balanced league that also includes Mali, Kenya and Ethiopia.

“We have to face any draw or competition with big ambitions. We had a difficult group. Although we are in a transitional stage, we must play with great ambition and show the full potential of our players to achieve positive results. We must show that we are competitive. The goal will be to fight for the position.” The first. We know it will be difficult. Small details will make the difference. We have to play a good role and score points to achieve our goal “, analyzes a sports coach.

The Ugandans made their preliminary competition debut with an away draw, in a duel they could have won if luck accompanied them. “The players did everything they could despite playing against a team that had just finished the season. In our case, most of the guys were lacking in rhythm, so it’s a positive result,” says Sredojević.

“It was difficult to prepare the players physically for such an important match, and the opponent resorted to long balls [Michael] Olunga, but we managed to keep the door clear of zero.”

Anticipated battle against Mali

A tough match awaits Uganda in the second round of qualifiers against Mali, one of the strongest teams on the continent today. The winner of that match will have as many votes as possible to top the rankings.

“After facing Kenya away from home, we will host Mali. It will be a difficult match, especially because of the lack of competition from our players. That is why we had to make an effort to reach the required level, both competitively and psychologically., physically or tactically. It will see the work on the preparations at home against Mali. ‘, Sredojevic predicts.

“I am confident in the work we have done and in our players to reach the required level and the results that our fans expect,” he concluded.

Great experience available to Uganda

Milutin Sredojevic is one of the most experienced coaches on the African continent. He has worked in Uganda, Ethiopia, Egypt, South Africa, Sudan, Rwanda, Zambia and Tanzania, and visited 24 countries with the clubs and teams he coached, giving him abundant experience in the ins and outs of African football.

How can this experience help the Ugandan national team achieve its goals? “I have a lot of experience as a coach on the African continent. So I can anticipate what will happen on the pitch. I think I can help these players in their process of maturation and push them to perform at the highest level individually, so it is a positive reflection on the team, and I will do my best to help Uganda play Good role,” concludes the Serbian coach.