KAMPALA, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Uganda coach Brian Ssenyondo has expressed the hope that his team will make more history at the ongoing FIFA U-17 World Cup in Doha, Qatar.
Uganda rewrote its own history after beating 2001 champions France 1-0 a few days ago to qualify for the 32-team knockout stage.
The Ugandan team, appearing in the FIFA U-17 World Cup for the first time, will face Senegal, the African U-17 champions, in the Round of 32 on Friday.
In an online interview with Xinhua, Ssenyondo said his team is prepared to give their all for the country. "We have now played three matches and kept growing in confidence. My players are ready to fight for every ball."
"We are proud to reach this stage in our debut World Cup. Facing Senegal is a big challenge, but also an opportunity to show how far Uganda's football has come," he added.
Senegal, the reigning U-17 AFCON champions, entered the fixture as one of the tournament's most in-form sides, having topped their group without conceding a goal.
Uganda started the campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Canada, drew 1-1 against Chile, and shocked France 1-0.
Apart from Uganda and Senegal, the other seven African teams that have qualified for the Round of 32 include Zambia, South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Mali, and Burkina Faso. ■
