KAMPALA, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Uganda Cubs head coach Brian Ssenyondo said his team are ready to begin their historic campaign at the FIFA U-17 World Cup on a positive note.
Uganda, who will be making their first-ever appearance at a FIFA World Cup, will face Canada in their opening Group K match on November 5 in Qatar.
"We know that it's our first time to play at this high level, but we are coming with a lot of seriousness because we know what this tournament means for the team, the players and the country," Ssenyondo told Xinhua over telephone on Tuesday.
Ssenyondo, who guided the Cubs to victory in the CECAFA Zonal U-17 qualifiers before securing qualification through the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations, said the team is eager to defy the odds.
"This is a big stage for us as Uganda and the players are aware of what is expected of them," he added.
The coach said their immediate goal is to start the tournament with a win, which he believes will set the tone for a strong campaign. "Every match will be like a final for us because no team is weak in the World Cup. Our first target is to try and make it out of the group stage and qualify for the knockout round," said Ssenyondo.
He added that the team's recent international friendlies against Venezuela, Panama and Paraguay in Dubai have been valuable preparation. "We learnt very big lessons from the three matches we played in Dubai and we are now very aware of what we must do to be able to get positive results," he explained.
Uganda will next face Chile on November 8 and conclude their Group K fixtures against France three days later.
Uganda is the only team from the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) region in this year's FIFA U-17 World Cup, which features 48 teams from around the world. ■