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The Senegal team before its match against Kenya, July 1, 2019. REUTERS / Suhaib Salem

Placed among the favorites of CAN 2019, Senegal will face Uganda in the round of 16 on Friday, July 5 at 19h (UT). The Cranes, very attractive in the first round, do not intend to stop in this way, and if a bonus deal has shaken the team in recent days, it will be an additional motivation against the Lions according to their coach.

From our special envoy in Cairo,

In nearly ten years on the African continent, the French coach of Uganda, Sebastien Desabre , has already proved his technical know-how, but on Thursday he showed his talents in terms of crisis communication. When the preparation of his team is disrupted by a bonus case , pushing his players to boycott a training session, and to delay more than three hours another, Desabre speaks of " mini-event, not very important ." We do not have to believe it ...

On the other hand, it will be necessary to agree with him when he considers that this situation will " influence in a positive way " and " reinforce the cohesion " of the group at the time of facing Senegal, announced as favorite of this eighth-final which will be played at the International Stadium in Cairo.

Return of Sané and Sabaly

If Uganda had nothing to lose by facing Senegal, the Cranes found a way to put pressure on them by triggering action to revalue premiums. This may not be good news for Aliou Cissé and his men, who, after reassuring Kenya (3-0) , after a defeat to Algeria (0-1) , must avoid an exit road as early as the eighths. " Uganda is a team that is a step up from Tanzania and Kenya ," said Aliou Cisse, the Lions coach. It is a very tough team, defensively in place with two lines of four, which press a lot and often puts in difficulty teams who play possession. "

ALL ABOUT CAN 2019

In the first round, the DRC was punished with Ugandan efficiency (2-0), and Egypt came out well with a 2-0 victory in sham . Today, the Cranes, who had not passed the first round since 1978, want to prolong the fun. " We will give everything against Senegal " swears captain and goalkeeper Denis Onyango

Opposite, Lions have every interest in being wary of an opponent who has never beaten them in five confrontations. And if Senegal will still do without its current goalkeeper, Édouard Mendy, now forfeit the rest of the competition (fracture of a finger), he recovers all his former wounded including Salif Sané, Youssouf Sabaly in the running for a place of holder in defense. It will not be too much to hurt the Cranes.

See also ► CAN 2019: Calendar, results and standings of the Africa Cup