Cecafa Cup: Tanzania ready to face favourites Uganda in semis – Mgunda

Tanzanian coach Juma Mgunda says they are ready to meet Uganda in the semi-finals of the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup.

With Kilimanjaro Stars coming second in Group B, they are likely to face the Cranes, who are topping in Group A and have a match to play to finish their group matches.

Asked about the prospects of facing Uganda in the semis, Tanzania coach Mgunda told Goal: “We respect Uganda as a team and we know they are the host team, I know they start as favourites, but we will fight them until the end, we will not fear them, I know their fans will rally behind them but we will give our best to reach the final.

“We are heading into the knockout stage, we respect Uganda, we know them very well but remember they are playing at home so they will enjoy the home advantage but it will not scare us, we will fight and fight to get a good result.”

Mgunda also suggested they will face a fit and fresh Ugandan side who have managed to rest some of their key players after qualifying earlier enough to the semis.

“It gives them [Uganda] an advantage because they qualified way back and ahead of us and have since managed to rest their key players, it might help them but we need not worry too much, we will give our best,” he added.

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On the 0-0 draw against Sudan which secured their place in the last four, Mgunda told Goal: “We thank God we got a draw against Sudan to qualify for the semis and now we must focus on the semis.

“Our game plan will definitely change now that we have beached the semis, it is not group matches anymore but it is a knockout stage and it means we must work on a new strategy on how to play in the knockout stage.

“I know all the teams in the semis will also change their game plan, you cannot use the same game in the group stage and use the same in the knockout stage, that is very impossible, we will sit out and come up with a new game plan.”