MOHAMMAD Abbas hopes to chain a number of key Hippos players into the Cranes team scheduled to face Ghana next month after failing on having his anticipated guards reassembled in time for sufficient preparations.

Uganda rooted at the bottom of Group two, face Ghana on September 3, in a 2006 World/Nations Cup qualifier, the Blackstars are eager to win to sustain their qualifying credentials.

Abbas, notified by the FUFA normalisation committee that preparations for the game would most certainly begin next week due to financial constraints, reasoned: ?That leaves me with just a week to prepare a team expected to play in Accra.

?We already have to do without two of our key players (David Obua and Nestroy Kizito). I have no choice but hope that U-20 team returns fit and hopefully use a number of them.?

Coach Moses Basena?s Hippos outfit were due to arrive in Zanzibar yesterday.

The Egyptian coach?s qualms ahead of the away high-pressure ! fixture have not been helped by constant reminders from the FUFA normalisation committee that none of the foreign based players would make the trip.

Consequently, the absences of Ibrahim Sekagya and Timothy Batabaire will hand SC Villa?s centre backs Andrew Mwesigwa and Nsamadu Mutumba a chance to start alongside each other.