Uganda vs. Tanzania: Mutyaba, M’Mombwa - Key player battles in East African Derby
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Paul Put to tinker with midfield setup around Khalid Aucho?
Uganda’s hopes of keeping their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaign alive rest heavily on getting a result in the East African Derby this evening in Rabat, and Paul Put will need his core group of players to step up to the challenge against a familiar foe in Tanzania.
The player that is almost guaranteed to feature for the Cranes is Khalid Aucho, who brings control, discipline, and leadership and is widely considered the team’s general in the centre of the park. Check out our Uganda vs Tanzania prediction for all the key team news.
In Uganda’s opening fixture against Tunisia, Aucho’s experience was evident as he continuously tried to slow the tempo of the game whenever his side was in possession, and his calm use of the ball allowed them to remain competitive for periods of the match.
One potential change to Put’s starting lineup for this clash could see Travis Mutyaba brought into midfield after an impressive cameo off the bench against the Carthage Eagles, where he showed flashes of quality and confidence carrying the ball forward.
Following the opening match, Mutyaba was singled out by former Manchester United starlet Hannibal Mejbri, who said, “The whole team was good, but number 10 was outstanding for me.” The CS Sfaxien midfielder came on to replace Melvyn Lorezen at the start of the second half.
The final player that will be hoping to get the nod to start this evening is Denis Omedi, who proved to be a handful in attack and scored the Cranes' consolation goal against Tunisia in stoppage time at the end of the match.
Charles M’Mombwa to pose greatest threat to Cranes’ defence?
Collective attacking output has been an issue for Miguel Gamondi’s side, but they can draw encouragement from a couple of standout players who could produce individual brilliance to keep their AFCON 2025 hopes alive in Rabat this evening. Don’t forget, you can follow the action in real-time via our AFCON 2025 livescores.
The Taifa Stars’ main man of late has been Charles M’Mombwa, who has emerged as their most reliable attacker. After netting their only goal against Nigeria, M’Mombwa has now scored three of the team’s last four goals in all competitions, underlining just how important he is to their setup.
Beyond his finishing, the former Macarthur FC attacking midfielder’s workrate is incredible. Against the Super Eagles, he applied 103 pressures out of possession - the most of any player in the match - and his energy and persistence could prove a handful for the Cranes' defence this evening.
Another standout from the loss to Nigeria was Zuberi Foba, who stepped up in the absence of first-choice goalkeeper Yakoub Suleiman and delivered a composed performance in goal, keeping the scoreline respectable.
The 23-year-old made eight saves against Eric Chelle’s side - the third-most of any goalkeeper in a single match during the first round fixtures - including a worldie to deny Fulham’s Samuel Chukwueze from taking the Super Eagles out of sight.
With the Taifa Stars still searching for attacking fluency, defensive resilience may prove crucial for the team this evening, and another assured display from Foba could help his side edge the contest against their East African rivals.
