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Sikhumbuzo Moyo in CAIRO, Egypt
AFTER having taunted Zimbabwe soon after the 2019 African Cup of Nations finals draw by claiming Zimbabwe were the weakest team in their Group, Ugandan coach Sebastien Desabre yesterday described those media reports as “fake”, 24 hours before coming face-to-face with the Warriors at Cairo International Stadium.

The French national even suggested, at the time, that his team will be competing for second spot since the group was likely to be won by seven-time African Cup of Nations champions Egypt.

Zimbabwe and Uganda collide at 7pm tonight in the first of two matches at Cairo International Stadium with the second game featuring hosts Egypt and the Democratic Republic of Congo at the same venue.

“Zimbabwe seems the least lucky team of the group but I know their squad and their great qualities. The group is complicated even though Egypt is the favourite to top it and our team will compete for the second spot,” Desabre told Goal.com back then.

When confronted by Zimbabwean journalists during a press conference here yesterday, Desabre made a dramatic about turn and described the reports as “fake”, even though he never challenged the reports in April.

“Thank you very much for that question, I have been waiting to set the record straight. Some news is not true, it’s a fake. I respect Zimbabwe and it’s impossible to take Zimbabwe as a weak team because they have great players like Billiat (Khama), Musona (Knowledge), Chigova (George), Hadebe (Teenage) and Devine (Lunga). It’s a very nice and good team.

“I also have so much respect for your coach Sunday Chidzambwa and I respect his team so much and every time Zimbabwe has played Uganda it has been a very difficult moment for Uganda and we are taking this game very seriously and we know it will be difficult for us. Zimbabwe lost the first game but they played very well,” Desabre said.