As Uganda ended a 41-year of absence from Africa Cup of Nations knockout stages, one man to thank for the feat KCCA striker Patrick Kaddu.
The 23-year old forward opened the Cranes goal account in Egypt with a brilliant header against DR Congo, his only second international goal, but surely his most precious one till date.
I knew before the game that I would score to help my country win. We played as a team and this collective effort made us win, Kaddu said after the game against DR Congo in Cairo (22 June 2019), the game Uganda won 2-0 to record their first AFCON victory since 1978.
Top scorer in Uganda Cup last year, Kaddu was called up to the national team for the first time in 2018. He scored Uganda’s winner against Cape Verde in the qualifying series last November, but his second international goal (against DR Congo) is one to remember.
In football, teamwork comes first, then we can talk about individual contributions, Kaddu added.
Uganda finished second in Group A behind hosts Egypt to guarantee their first AFCON knockout stages appearance since losing the 1978 final to Ghana. Victory against DR Congo inspired by goals from Kaddu and Emmanuel Okwi, was followed by a 1-1 draw with Zimbabwe. The 2-0 defeat to hosts Egypt didn’t stop Sebastien Desabre’s Cranes from reaching the round of 16, where they will face Africa’s top ranks Senegal in Cairo on Friday.
It is good to score and especially scoring for the national team. It is always a pleasure, and I do it for the rest of the teammates, Kaddu concluded.
