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Much has been made of Mayanja’s tactical choices and style of play from the Hippos especially in the second half against CAR on Sunday.
Uganda Hippos coach Jackson Mayanja has indicated that he will stick with his attacking style of play for their second group B game against Congo on Thursday.
The Hippos had a positive and promising start to the tournament in Egypt, defeating the Central African Republic 2-1.
Much has been made of Mayanja’s tactical choices and style of play from the Hippos especially in the second half against CAR on Sunday.
Mayanja started with a pragmatic front five that included attacking players Titus Ssematimba, Travis Mutyaba, captain Isma Mugulusi and Rogers Mugisha – voted man of the match – behind striker John Paul Dembe.
The choices paid off, and as the Hippos prepare for a crunch tie against Congo, Mayanja says there might be some changes to personnel, but he will not sacrifice the team’s style.
“Every game is different, and I think we shall be making some changes to the line-up, but not at the expense of the team’s style,” Mayanja declared.
“Of course, like a team which is trying to qualify for the World Cup, we are not going to sit back because I believe in attacking football and what we’re going to do.”
“We want to go and attack Congo until the end, there is nothing to stay back. The modern game is an open game but most importantly tomorrow, we must put Congo in their backyard,” added the former Cranes ace.
With Uganda and Congo standing shoulder to shoulder in Group B after respective 2-1 victories over CAR and South Sudan, their meeting at the Suez Canal Stadium carries added importance.
The stakes are high as the victor of this match will confirm their place in the quarter-finals of the tournament, and Mayanja has urged his team to ‘be critical of their opponents’.
My team and the entire technical staff is looking at that game tomorrow and we’re going to handle that game as a very, very serious game more than even a final,” he stressed.
“There’s no underdog in this tournament in these big stages you don’t call people underdogs, and everybody is a favourite because if you stay there training for almost one and a half months you don’t just in the tournament and say am an underdog, so everybody is a favourite.”
“We’re prepared to win tomorrow to have an easy qualification to the next round. “The Congo game as I said is going to be a very tough game.”
“But I think we’re very prepared to make sure this is the game which can make us qualify for the next round.”
“I saw Congo play they’re the same players and technically not a bad team because in Congo their players are all technical players.”
“We have a good quality in my team more than the players from Congo. We have quality players who can do the job the way I want us to approach the game,” he continued.
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