Uganda Cranes to camp in Morocco ahead of Africa Nations Championship

KAMPALA, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Uganda's national football team will camp in Morocco ahead of the 2018 Africa Nations Championship.

Decolas Kiiza, the Finance director of the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) told Xinhua on Wednesday that they are making final arrangements for the team to travel before Jan. 5 to camp in Morocco.

The tournament that brings together 16 national teams with players who play in the domestic league will take place Jan. 13-Feb. 4.

Uganda who will be based in Marrakech will play alongside Zambia, Namibia and Cote d'Ivoire in Group B.

Under interim coach, Moses Basena, the Cranes started training on Wednesday.

"We have started slowly and hope to work a lot on the phyiscal fitness for the start before we trim the team from 30 to the 23 whose names will be needed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

U-20 captain Muhammad Shaban is also part of the Uganda Cranes team. Shaban, the top scorer at the recent COSAFA U-20 Championship in Zambia where Uganda finished fourth, said he was excited about the call-up.

"I will continue to work hard so that I can make the final squad for the tournament," Shaban told Xinhua.

It will be Uganda's fourth appearance at the Africa Nations Championship after making their debut in 2011 in Sudan.

The Cranes also featured in the 2014 event in South Africa and last year in Rwanda.

The Ugandan team is expected to get a new coach before the tournament starts in Morocco.

Last week the Uganda FA announced that Frence-born coach Desabrie Sabastian, Emilio Ferrera (Belgium), former Rwanda and Seirra Leone coach John Mckinstry and Basena had been the four shortlisted for the job. Enditem