Today
Tanzania v Uganda
National Stadium
6p.m.

The divide in preparations cannot get wider but the aspirations are the same. The Tanzanian national team has just returned home from a European tour ahead of the Nations Cup qualifier at home against Mozambique.

Uganda on the other hand has had a slow start to its preparations a huge chunk of the professional players are yet to join the camp and the team has not entered residential training. But such hiccups seem to have instead steeled other than shrink the zeal of Cranes coach Laszlo Csaba as he readies his troops for the friendly against Tanzania today. Whilst noting the value of the game, Csaba plans to rely on his youthful side as he awaits the senior players to report to camp.

"This is a very good opportunity since the league is not on at the moment. At least the players can have practice as they wait for the big game," Csaba said. "I have many U23 players and I want to see how they play against a team like Tanzania. I know all of them and I will give them a chance to prove themselves."

Csaba further added that all the strikers will have a chance to play and prove their worth although he down played the significance of his choices in relation to the lineup that will feature against Niger. "I know my players and I would like to see them in the real game. Hamis (Kitagenda), Yuda (Mugalu), Aduni (Moses) and Bongole (Anthony) are all good players.

But next week Massa (Geoffrey) and Geoffrey (Sserunkuuma) will all be here so it will be different," the coach clarified. Even with the youthful side, Csaba maintained that this game is highly significant in the team's endeavour to qualify for Ghana 08. "This is a very important match and we must win it. It will help build positive thinking in the camp," he added.

The coach was also respectful of the Tanzanian national team stating that they too have an equal chance of making it to the Nations Cup and hence are approaching the friendly with the same seriousness.