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From Lovemore Moyo in JOHANNESBURG, South Africa
UGANDA coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic has hailed the Zimbabwean Premiership as a strong top-flight league that produces good players who are likely to make a mark at the 2014 CHAN finals to be held in this country.
Uganda are in the same group with the Warriors in the CHAN finals and will be based in Cape Town.
The Cranes coach told The Herald yesterday that he been following the Zimbabwean Premiership, which he hailed as a competitive league.
“Not only do I know about their coach (Ian Gorowa) but I have also been following their domestic league from which they will select their players,” he said.
“They have a good league in Zimbabwe and it is for that reason that they are the biggest exporter of players to South Africa every year.
“For us to beat them (Warriors) it will come with serious planning because I expect them to be a lot more similar to us in their style than Burkina Faso and Morocco in the way that they play.
“They are not big so they will not be physical which means we must play an open game against them.”
Sredovic said the Warriors deserved respect in this tournament pointing out that being one of only three countries that have been ever present at the CHAN finals is a display of the pedigree of Zimbabwean football.
The Serbian coach, who had a volatile eight-month stay at South African giants Orlando Pirates between 2006-07, believes the fact that the Warriors eliminated Zambia on the way to qualifying for the finals makes them dangerous.
“To get to the finals Zimbabwe had to deal with Zambia so that tells you of their potential and the fact that nobody should treat them lightly in any way because Zambia is not an easy team to deal with at all,” said Sredovic.
“They were rated in our group based on that they were at the last two finals so there is no way you should treat them with kid gloves regardless of what situation they are in at the moment.”
Micho has also been using his extensive African experience, which stretches as far back as 2001when he first landed on the continent from his homeland, to glean information about all his group opponents.
The 44 year-old has worked in Uganda, Ethiopia, South Africa, Tanzania, Sudan where he was in charge of Al Hilal and Rwanda in the last 12 years.
“I am aware of the fact that Zimbabwe was also in the Cosafa Castle Cup final while I am also aware of what Morocco and Burkina Faso have been doing in their respective regions,” he said.
“Though Morocco are only making their first appearance at CHAN they are traditionally an organised team with a strong league while the fact that Burkina Faso’s national team is in the last round of qualifiers for the World Cup tells of something to note.
“However, I am using most of my time and energy on our team because even though we need to know what is happening with others in our group we must also have good preparations so that come the tournament we are ready,” Sredojevic said.
The CHAN tournament will be played from January 11 to February 1 in Cape Town, where the Warriors will be based, Bloemfontein and Polokwane.
Sredojevic acknowledged the threat posed by Zimbabwe’s Warriors and feels their showdown could be the decider in their group at the CHAN finals.
Sredojevic, who like Ian Gorowa was appointed earlier this year with the task of making sure Uganda qualify for the 2014 CHAN finals and the 2015 African Cup of Nations in Morocco, has put his money on the match against Zimbabwe at Athlone Stadium on January 16 as the decider.
He revealed that he has been doing extensive research on the Warriors by following the domestic league through Africa’s leading sports channel SuperSport.
“I believe our second group match against Zimbabwe will determine a lot of things regarding what will happen in our group,” says Sredojevic.
“We are starting off against Morocco who I probably expect to be a solid team in our group because of the strength of their league.
“Then the second match against Zimbabwe should determine whether we are staying or going out so it means this is a decider.
“I know their coach Ian Gorowa from the time that I was working in South Africa and have followed his work along the years through all of his time in South Africa up to the time he returned home.
“Having previously worked in Cape Town I expect him (Gorowa) to be familiar with the conditions down there which already gives him an advantage in as far as planning is concerned.
“So, I feel they (Zimbabwe) should have the edge and be a team that is very dangerous, which will make our match against them more like a play-off.”
Online Reporter