Total CHAN 2020 final draw:
Group A: Cameroon, Mali, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe
Group B: Libya, DR Congo, Congo Brazzaville, Niger
Group C: Morocco, Rwanda, Uganda, Togo
Group D: Zambia, Guinea, Namibia, Tanzania
BY JIMMY APORO
CRANES new coach Johnny McKinstry is happy that Rwanda has been drawn with Uganda in the 6th edition of Total CHAN 2020 final draw saying, there is no African team he perfectly understands like Amavubi and sounded warning drums to Rwanda to be ready for humiliation.
Uganda has been drawn with Rwanda in Group C. Other countries in this group are Morocco and Togo.
Morocco are the defenfing champions. They bagged US$2.5 million in prize money, which represents a 67% increase from $750,000 awarded to 2016 winner.
The host Cameroon will on April 4th 2020 start their Total Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) 2020 campaign against Zimbabwe after the draws at the Palais Polyvalent des Sports de Yaoundé in the capital, Yaounde last night.
CHAN is the African Nation Championship. It’s a tournament for home based players.
McKinstry is the first person from Northern Ireland to manage three International teams. These are: Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Uganda.
IS RWANDA THE GROUP UNDER DOG?
In an exclusive interview with News Editor Online after the draws, coach McKinstry said, ‘’It’s almost as though fate conspire to say not just Uganda but myself to be re-acquitted with Rwanda in every opportunity and there is no team in Africa I know better than Rwanda whether it’s the world cup or Chan Team a lot of them where given debuts by me and staff for the 2yrs so we know them while.”
Adding, “We have all it take to get maximum points in that game.’’ McKinstry however said, “There is no doubt we will miss the players like Allan Okello and Joel Madondo who have joined Morocco and Algeria respectively. We will give opportunity to other boys.”
“Yes we want to go and get to the knock out stage, finals as a team we want to be successful but the purpose of CHAN was to give opportunities to home base players to a global audience ‘’ Said Coach McKinstry.
He revealed that Uganda has got a lot of talents and are ready to step up and play.
The Cranes CHAN team kick starts their preparations on March 2nd 2020 and hope to call about 32 players to the camp. Assessment of players depend on the remaining games of the league before they are called up and towards the FIFA gazetted day the team will be trimmed to final 23 who will make it to finals in Cameroon.
Cranes will face off with neighbours Rwanda on a date yet to be set at Stade de la Reunification Stadium in Douala capital, then play Togo in the second game and finish up with the defending champions Morocco.
Uganda failed to make it out of the group in 2018 which had Zambia, Namibia and Ivory Coast having failed to beat Zambia in their opening game, lost to Namibia and finally drawing with Ivory Coast in the last game.
Ethiopia were formerly awarded as host, but the Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) admitted it was not ready to host this competition. When Cameroon took it over, tournament date was moved from January and February to April.
