Uganda Cranes captain Geoffrey Massa says the players are determined to go an extra mile to make their nation proud at the 2017 Total Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Gabon.
Speaking during the 5-hour flight from Addis Ababa to Libreville on Ethiopian Airlines, Massa said Uganda should not be underrated by opponents. “We are going to throw everything at our opponents as we fight for our nation,” added Massa.
Uganda eventually qualified for Afcon tourney after a 39 year absence throwing the nation into ecstasy.
The Cranes will open their campaign on Tuesday against the Black Stars of Ghana in Port Gentil. Speaking about the importance of the opening match, Massa said they will have to approach it like a final because getting early three points in the group means a lot.
Massa also said that the training camps and friendly matches in Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates had helped shape the team well.
“Playing against Tunisia, Slovenia, Slovakia and the African Champions Cote d’Ivoire have helped us get in better shape,” added the South African based striker.
Speaking about the kind of opposition they will face, Massa said any team that qualified for the Afcon is good enough and must be respected. Egypt and Mali are the other two teams in Group D that will be based in Port Gentil.
Ivory Coast who beat Uganda Cranes 3-0 in an international friendly on Wednesday are the defending champions after beating Ghana 1-0 in the 2015 Afcon final in Equatorial Guinea.