Uganda Cranes is our toughest opponent in CECAFA region - Samatta

Mbwana Samatta has acknowledged that the Uganda Cranes are heads and shoulders above the rest in the CECAFA region.

The Tanzanian captain noted that as he weighed in on the Taifa Stars' prospects in their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations double header against the Uganda Cranes in Ismailia, Egypt.

“There’s no match we’ve played Uganda that was easy,” Samatta, a former Aston Villa striker currently plying his trade for KRC Genk in Belgium said on Tuesday evening.

Uganda and Tanzania have met eight times since June 2015 with the former winning four and drawing two.

However, Samatta picks positives from their 3-0 win when the two faced in their last AFCON qualifier in March 2019 and a 1-0 during an international friendly in September last year.

“We must accept that the Ugandans have been a tough nut to crack amongst all our East African rivals. But we have made some strides in recent times including a win over them in a friendly in Libya’

“We shall fight hard because these two games are very important for our future,” he added.

Uganda host Tanzania on Friday 24th, March in day three, and then fly to Dar Es Salaam for the return leg four days later.