As the clock ticks away to the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals, The Cranes players must get ready and in tip-top shape for the battle group games, which kick off January 17 in Gabon.
To attain such fitness levels, 29 of the 40 players are expected to begin training at the Acacia Mall gym today, according to assistant coach Moses Basena. Players will also start double training sessions.
Basena said: “The players know that the competition we are going for is a tough one. So, they must be in fine shape to compete, which is why we are going to be working on their fitness for much of this week.”
Most of the players on the squad are coming off club duty. The Uganda Premier League (UPL) first round just wound up on December 10.
“And since then, what have they been doing?” Basena asked. He went further to explain that for the last one week since the league broke off, the players were given a time off to rest, which I hope they did, to allow their bodies to recover from any knocks or fatigue.
But at the same time, because it is not easy to monitor every player, some actually drop in fitness: “And since you are not sure about their state, the best test for them would be the training we give them. And in case one has dropped a level, we will be able to get them up, ready for Afcon.”
Meanwhile, a few foreign-based players are expected to be part of these sessions: Godfrey Walusimbi, Isaac Isinde and Tonny Mawejje.
Mawejje and Walusimbi have not had a competitive game since the November 12 tie against Congo-Brazzaville, which makes these double shifts timely for them in order not to lose much ground.
jovi@observer.ug