Football
Andrew Jackson Oryada Snr, KweséESPN 6y

Uganda's Desabre vows to improve Cranes fitness levels

Cranes head coach Sébastien Desabre has criticized the fitness levels of the Uganda national teams after overseeing his first month and a half in the job.

The Frenchman was only appointed at the end of December, following a six-month search to find a permanent appointment for Micho Sredojevic, and struggled at the African Nations Championship in Morocco.

Despite their talented squad, Uganda were eliminated in the group stage after losing their opening matches, with Desabre left unimpressed with the players' fitness.

"After spending time with the team in Morocco during the CHAN tournament I discovered that the players are very talented, but lacked a lot on fitness," Desabre told journalists during a press briefing at the Uganda FA headquarters in Mengo on Wednesday.

"As I am also a qualified with a diploma in physical training, I am ready to help local clubs on the aspects of fitness and tactics," he added, "because this will help the country."

However, the Frenchman warned that if he was to drive the positive change he was hoping for, he'd need support from within the local game.

"I will give my maximum input to improve Ugandan teams," he added, "but I also need support from all stakeholders."

Uganda FA President Moses Magogo has vowed to ensure that Uganda Premier League sides have the resources to enable Desabre to oversee the overall level of player fitness.

"We are going to make sure all the team have fitness coaches because this will translate to making work easier for the national teams," assured Magogo.

Desabre may have struggled during the CHAN, but his primary test will be ensuring Uganda's qualification for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Cranes lead their qualifying group after beating Cape Verde in their opener, and have also been pooled alongside Tanzania and Lesotho.

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