Uganda Cranes head coach Paul Put expressed his satisfaction following Sunday's 1-0 victory over Burundi in the second leg of the 2024 CHAN Qualifiers at Hamz Stadium, Nakivubo.
The win secured Uganda a 2-0 aggregate triumph to give them a feel and preparation for CHAN 2024 tournament that they will host along Kenya and Tanzania.
“I am happy despite the little time we had to prepare for these matches,” Put remarked. “If we are to be honest, we saw improvement in maturity and also improvement in the way of playing. I am happy for the clean sheets over the two legs. We created more chances today and our way of play was much better.”
Regarding potential team adjustments ahead of the CHAN tournament which kicks off in February 2025, Put acknowledged the need for reinforcements.
“Of course, we have to see in certain positions so that we can reinforce, but we don’t have much time to make many changes,” he noted.
The match's standout moment came in stoppage time when substitute Hakim Kiwanuka delivered a dramatic 90+1 minute winner. Kiwanuka capitalized on a deflected shot just outside the box following a perfectly executed free kick by Saidi Mayanja. His goal ensured Uganda's second victory over Burundi in four days after a similar 1-0 win in the first leg.
The result showcased Uganda’s defensive resilience having kept consecutive clean sheets across both legs. Burundi’s elimination sees them miss out on the February 2025 continental event that exclusively features locally-based players. Meanwhile, Uganda's improved performance under Put highlights their intent to make an impact as co-hosts.
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