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The stadium is currently hosting Uganda Hippos Group B games at the U20 Africa Cup of Nations currently going on in Egypt.
The Uganda Cranes will host Tanzania in a Group F match day three of the 2023 Ivory Coast Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers next month at the Suez Canal Authority Stadium in Egypt.
The stadium is currently hosting Uganda Hippos Group B games at the U20 Africa Cup of Nations currently going on in Egypt.
Continental governing body, CAF, announced earlier this month that Uganda was among the 24 countries whose stadiums failed to meet the minimum requirements.
“According to the latest stadium homologation by Caf, Uganda Cranes shall have no stadium in Uganda to host Afcon and World Cup qualifiers,” Magogo tweeted earlier in the month.
The match is a must-win for the Cranes who perch at the bottom of Group F with only one point. Algeria leads with six, Niger with two while Tanzania has one as well. Uganda will face Tanzania days later in Dar Es Salaam for the reverse leg.
Limited options
FUFA had been left with no options after St. Marys Kitande failed the test despite hosting CAF Champions League matches while Namboole Stadium is still under construction.
Apart from Tanzania, there was no other option for FUFA to host the game among Uganda’s neighbours. Technically, Uganda could not take the match to the same opponent's backyard.
Magogo had hinted that the federation was weighing options on whether to take the match to Malawi, Zambia, or Egypt.
Suez Canal it is!
Pulse Sports can exclusively reveal that FUFA has chosen the newly built 21,000-capacity stadium in Ismailia for the crucial tie.
Magogo is currently in Egypt to conclude the business as well as visit the Hippos. He is scheduled to meet the stadium management on Friday to finish the business alongside Uganda Cranes coach Milutin 'Micho' Sredojevic.
FUFA, until recently was in talks with Rwanda to play at the approved Huye Stadium Stadium pending government approval.
Suez Canal Authority Stadium was demolished in 2019 and reconstructed from scratch in a period of three years. It was inaugurated on September 8th last year. The facility was constructed at a cost of $26 million (shs.92 billion).
2023 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers
Upcoming fixtures
Match day 3 & 4: March 2023
Algeria vs. Niger
Uganda vs. Tanzania
Niger vs. Algeria
Tanzania vs. Uganda
Ivory Coast Afcon 2023 Q group F standings
P W D L GD PTS
Algeria 2 2 0 0 4 6
Niger 2 0 2 0 0 2
Tanzania 2 0 1 1 -2 1
Uganda 2 0 1 1 -2 1
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