Gor Mahia striker Dennis Omedi captained the Uganda Cranes to a 2-0 victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo in an international friendly match played in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Friday.
The forward was named captain as Uganda continued preparations through the international break, leading the Cranes to an impressive win against the Leopards in their first of two scheduled training matches.
Goals from James Bogere and Kevin Owusu Boateng secured the victory for head coach Paul Put’s side, with Uganda taking advantage of defensive mistakes and creating enough opportunities to claim the win.
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Uganda got off to a flying start, taking the lead in the seventh minute after capitalising on a costly error from the Congolese goalkeeper, who misplaced a pass while attempting to play out from the back.
Bogere reacted quickly to the mistake and found the back of the net to give the Cranes an early advantage.
Despite conceding early, DR Congo enjoyed lengthy spells of possession and tried to find a way back into the contest. However, the Leopards struggled to turn their control of the ball into clear-cut scoring opportunities.
Uganda nearly doubled their lead in the 38th minute when Boateng played Bogere through on goal. The striker, however, failed to beat the goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation, leaving the Cranes with a narrow advantage at the break.
DR Congo also came close to finding an equaliser shortly before half-time, but Theo Bongonda’s effort narrowly missed the target after flashing past the post.
The Cranes returned for the second half with renewed purpose and extended their lead ten minutes after the restart. Boateng capped off a well-worked team move with a composed finish after midfielder Abdoulaye Sissako initiated the attacking move.
The second goal gave Uganda breathing room as they looked to see out the contest against a DR Congo side that had struggled to make its possession count.
Put made several changes in the closing stages, giving Richard Basangwa, Frank Ssebuufu, Joseph Sseremba and Saddam Masereka valuable playing time.
Ssebuufu almost added a third goal for Uganda in the 82nd minute, but his powerful effort struck the crossbar, denying the Cranes a chance to further extend their advantage.
For Omedi who plies his trade with Kenyan Premier League champions Gor Mahia, captaining the national team was another important moment in his international career. The forward was included in Uganda’s starting lineup alongside goalkeeper David Akpa, defenders Gavin Kizito, Geofrey Lubange Kene and Allan Oyirwoth, as well as midfielders Sissako, Hillary Mukundane and Herbert Achayi.
The two sides are scheduled to meet again on Monday, October 5, in a second training match in South Africa, providing both teams with another opportunity to assess their players and preparations.
Uganda will be hoping to build on Friday’s result when they face the Leopards again, while Omedi and his teammates will look to maintain their momentum ahead of their upcoming international assignments.