Football
Andrew Oryada, Special to ESPN 5y

Uganda determined to take clean-sheet record to AFCON - Onyango

Uganda skipper Denis Onyango is determined that the Cranes will extend their clean-sheet record to the Africa Cup of Nations, having confirmed their place in Cameroon with victory over Cape Verde on Saturday.

Patrick Kaddu scored the only goal of the game as the East Africans secured their place among the continent's elite for the second successive tournament with one match to spare.

With one match to play, Uganda are the only side in Africa's qualifying campaign not to have conceded a goal, and Onyango is determined that the team will keep that record going until the showpiece itself.

"We want to go to the AFCON with a clean sheet," the goalkeeper told ESPN. "We need to continue working hard and not concede in our last game against Tanzania next year.

"I did not get the five clean sheets alone as a goalkeeper, but it has been teamwork and also a lot of work by the goalkeeper training coach Fred Kajoba and the technical bench."

Uganda currently have 13 points from five qualifiers, and sit eight points ahead of Tanzania - who have played a match fewer - and nine ahead of Cape Verde.

"We want to rewrite history and make it to the AFCON next year with a clean sheet," Onyango continued. "It's a very good feeling that we are qualifying for the AFCON again after being there in 2017 in Gabon.

"This has been a long journey since last year, and we are happy that we have made it again.

"Our fans have been fantastic and supported us even during times when things have been difficult."

Goalkeeper coach Kajoba praised Onyango, who was Africa-based Player of the Year in 2016, for his achievements during the qualifying campaign.

"You can see that when Onyango was voted the best African player for 2016 among African-based players, it was not by chance," said the former Cranes stopper.

"He has showed that he works hard and is a class apart because he has led by example.

"Having a good goalkeeper remains very key for any team to perform well, and Onyango has showed that.

"A good goalkeeper is always a strong foundation of a team besides the other departments."

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