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The midfielder who scored the Hippos’ opening goal in Egypt, admits missing the chance to play at the World Cup then hurt but says it only fuels his desire to fight and achieve it once again.
Uganda Hippos captain Isma Mugulusi has challenged his teammates to give their best effort in search of national history by securing qualification for the U20 World Cup.
The Hippos face an all-or-nothing situation on Thursday evening when they play Nigeria in the U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) quarter-finals at the Suez Canal Stadium in Ismailia.
A place at the 2023 World Cup to be held in Indonesia is up for grabs for the winner of the quarter-final, and Mugulusi insists the team should take their best aim and grab the opportunity.
“We came here (AFCON) with a goal,” Mugulusi told media during a press conference, adding; “Being able to play in a quarter-final against Nigeria shows how far we have come.”
“We want to achieve qualification, so my promise to the Ugandans back home is that tomorrow is the day the Hippos will create history and start the world cup trend for the country,” he continued.
For 90 minutes, the country will hold its breath and will be gripped by the events in Egypt, as the Hippos aim to become the first national team to reach a football World Cup final.
The Hippos reached the final of the U20 AFCON in 2021, which could have seen them play at the World Cup finals, but the tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mugulusi is one of three players who were part of the Hippos team that finished runners-up to Ghana in Mauritania.
The midfielder who scored the Hippos’ opening goal in Egypt, admits missing the chance to play at the World Cup then hurt but says it only fuels his desire to fight and achieve it once again.
“It is a motivation (missing out on the World Cup), but I do not want to fixate my mind on that,” Mugulusi admitted.
“I have put that behind me and consider it history now. I will not allow it to affect me and also because this is a new group and another opportunity to go for it and achieve it.”
For many on the squad, the clash against Nigeria will be the biggest occasion of their budding careers, yet the captain is adamant that all of them should be ready to ‘eat grass’ themselves.
“We are ready, everyone is in shape, and we're mentally good. We've tried to put what the coach wants into practice. I think we can overcome Nigeria in the quarter-finals," the midfielder said.
"We are told and we have been assisted by the coaches and other players who visited our camp like former Cranes goalkeeper and captain Dennis Onyango and former Hippos captain Gavin Kizito to eat the grass so I think tomorrow we will eat the grass.
The Hippos topped Group B following an unprecedented draw of lots between them and Congo to finish top of Group B after victory in their opening fixture against the Central African Republic was followed by draws against Congo and South Sudan.
On the other hand, Nigeria’s Flying Eagles finished second in Group A after losing their opening fixture against Senegal.
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