Ivory Coast legend Kolo Toure has Monday visited the Uganda Cranes camp in Dubai, UAE to motivate the boys only a few days to go before the Africa Cup of Nations kicks off in Gabon.
Local football governing body Fufa took to social media to post a picture of Uganda players with the former Ivory Coast international, alongside the caption: ‘Ivory Coast legend Kolo Toure has visited the @UgandaCranes camp in Dubai on Monday to motivate the boys ahead of @AFCON_2017 #MujjeTulumbe’
Toure met with the players and encouraged them to work to the best of their abilities.
With keen emphasis, Toure conveyed a special message about trusting in the Almighty Lord and training effortlessly to excel.
“I am happy to meet you all. Trust and believe in God. Work hard to achieve the best in life. I wish you the best at the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Gabon,” Toure stated.
Toure left Liverpool to join former manager Brendan Rodgers at Scottish champions Celtic at the start of the season.
The veteran defender, who has made 12 appearances for the Hoops this campaign, is on holiday in Dubai while clubs Scotland enjoy their three-week winter break.
On Sunday, star forward Farouk Miya scored a goal and set up another as Uganda took their pre-Afcon buildup record to two wins and one loss with a 3-1 win over Slovakia.
Although the Slovakia squad were made up of recent U21 graduates, they provided just the sort of examination needed by the Cranes for their preparation, with confident ball possession and sharp passing.
Moses Oloya had the Cranes in front within the opening five minutes, finishing off Miya’s assist.
The forward then finished off a quick counter-attack to double the advantage on the quarter-hour mark and give the CAF Team of the Year a 2-0 lead going into the break.
Denis Vavro pulled a goal back 10 minutes after the restart, but Massa restored the two-goal advantage with a headed goal off Joseph Ochaya’s delivery.
It is the second win for Uganda, who beat Slovakia 1-0 two days earlier on the back of a Mohammed Shaban goal, after losing their first pre-tournament friendly 2-0 against fellow Nations Cup campaigners Tunisia last Wednesday.
The Cranes will round up their preparations with another international friendly against reigning African champions Cote D’Ivoire on Wednesday at New York University Stadium before heading out to Gabon.
