By 
The Uganda Cranes have once again been eliminated from the Africa Nations Championship at the group stage after being humbled 5-2 by Morocco in their final group C game played at the Stade de Unification in Douala.
Having garnered just one point from their opening two games, Uganda came into the Morocco game on Tuesday evening needing nothing less than a win over the defending champions so as to progress to the quarterfinals of the 2020 Africa Nations Championship in Cameroon.
The Atlas Lions of Morocco dominated the first quarter of the game, imposing a lot of pressure on the Cranes backline but goalie Charles Lukwago was spot on to deny the defending champions.
In the 6th minute, Lukwago punched away Omar Namsaoui freekick before coming out strong to intercept El Kaabi’s shot in the 12th minute.
Having scored a thunderous strike from 35 yards against Togo, Saidi Kyeyune once again tried his luck, but this time, his effort from distance was easily saved by Anas Zniti in the 16th minute.
The Cranes broke the deadlock in the 24th minute through Ibrahim Orit’s powerful shot that he directed to the bottom right corner after a brilliant set-up by Brian Aheebwa.
Morocco had a brilliant chance to level matters in the 29th minute, but El Kaabi failed to connect well with Adam Ennaffati well-calculated cross from the right.
Ibrahim Orit tried to double the scoreline for the Cranes in the 38th minute, but his resulting shot was too weak to cause Zniti any problems.
In the last minute of the opening half, Morocco was handed a penalty kick after Mustafa Mujuzi handled the ball in the forbidden area. El Kaabi stepped up and struck the resulting spot-kick into the back of the net to level matters before the halftime break.
Just five minutes into the second half, Morocco got their second of the game after a Aziz Kayondo slip that gifted Ennaffati the opportunity to find Soufiane Rahimi unmarked in the box. He easily directed the ball past Lukwago into the Cranes goal to push the Atlas Lions into the deserved lead.
Trying to change the game, Johnathan Mckinstry introduced Muhammad Shaban for Aheebwa.
Cranes nearly found the equalizer in the 60th minute, but Halid Lwaliwa’s header off Bright Anukani’s corner kick was acrobatically saved by Zniti.
El Kaabi almost got his second of the goal and Morocco’s third of the night in the 64th minute, but Lukwago once again denied the experienced Atlas Lions captain.
After immense pressure, the Uganda cranes finally submitted to a third goal after a loose ball from Kagimu was powerfully pounced on by Hamza El Moussaoui in the 67th minute.
Eleven minutes from time, Morocco got their fourth through Rahimi Soufiane before Uganda pulled one back through Kyeyune. The URA midfield maestro netted a sensational freekick after Shaban was fouled in the 83rd minute.
In the 92nd minute, Morroco got their fifth of the game after Charles Lukwago deflected Abdullah Hafidi’s shot into the back of his net.
Since their debut in 2011, the Uganda Cranes have never made it past the group stages in those 5 consecutive editions and this was the second time Uganda was falling out at the hands of Morocco, having suffered the same in 2014.
