Afcon U20: Wounded Uganda to unleash attacking football against Burkina Faso - Byekwaso

Uganda U20 head coach Morely Byekwaso has revealed they will unleash attacking football against Burkina Faso during their Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final tie at Cheikha Ould Boidiya Stadium in Nouakchott on Thursday.

Byekwaso conceded the Young Stallions are going to be a strong opponent but that is not going to stop them from playing attacking football.

"Burkina Faso are a strong team but we have gone through all the tests and challenges in our group games," Byekwaso said as quoted by the Fufa website.

"We are facing a new team that is physical but we are like a wounded lion. We have lost and won, there is nothing to lose but to give out what we are naturally capable of doing. It will be an interesting match for both teams. We shall play more attacking football to have the best results from the match."

The Hippos sailed to the knockout stage after two wins against Mozambique, who they downed 2-0 before beating hosts Mauritania 2-1 but suffered a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon. 
Burkina Faso, on the other hand, opened the competition with a 0-0 draw against Tunisia before winning against the Central African Republic with a 3-1 margin and a 1-0 victory against Namibia.

Uganda are debuting in the junior tournament while Burkina Faso have been part of the competition in four previous editions and finished fourth in 2003. The Hippos' qualification into the quarter-finals comes barely a month after their senior team failed to progress in the African Nations Championship as they were eliminated at the group stages in Cameroon.

Burkina Faso head coach Oscar Barro has stated the game against Uganda is the beginning of a new challenge that will be presented to them.

“It’s going to be a tough mission against Uganda, a team with many qualities," Barro told Caf Online. "A new tournament starts now. We were happy to finish the group on top but this means nothing now.”

In a separate interview, Byekwaso urged his players to respond and try their best in a tournament that is full of surprises.

“I believe this is going to be more difficult than all our group games, but we are ready and have the quality to go on," the KCCA FC assistant coach said. "This is a tournament full of surprises and some great teams conceded defeats. But we have to respond and give our best."

Uganda are set to rely on Derrick Kakooza and Steven Sserwadda up front who have scored two goals each and are in contention for the Golden Boot award.

The victor between the Hippos and the Young Stallions will meet the winner between Morocco and Tunisia in the semi-finals.