KAMPALA, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Head coach of South Sudan's national football team on Wednesday warned hosts Uganda that it will face a difficult time, as the two teams face off on Thursday in a 2021 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier.
Ashu Cyprian Besong said his team is in the country for serious business because they are without points from the two games it has played.
"We need to start getting points and that is why this game against Uganda means a lot to us. They should not underestimate us," said Besong.
Uganda currently tops Group B of the qualifiers with four points, while Burkina Faso is second with the same number of points, but fewer goals. Malawi has three points and South Sudan is bottom of the group with no points.
Besong said that, although facing Uganda is not an easy task, Uganda will not have home advantage since fans will not be allowed in the stadium in efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19.
"We shall have to take our chances and also make sure we go for early goals. My players are well motivated for this game," Besong told Xinhua in an interview.
Chok Daniel Dau, who features for F.C Vysocina in the Czech Republic, said they are here to get points.
"We have been working so hard and we are determined to get points from this game," added Dau.
Jonathan McKinstry, Uganda's national coach said the game is crucial and the team needs to make sure it gets maximum points to remain at the top of the group standings.
"We cannot underrate any team, we need to make sure we play well and get the good result we need," added the coach.
The two teams will face-off again in a return leg on Nov. 16 in neighboring Kenya. The South Sudan team does not play at home because its national stadium in Juba is under-going renovation. Enditem
