Rugby Cranes star player Phillip Wokorach is resolute that the team will bounce back stronger in their upcoming Rugby Africa Cup matches despite their narrow loss to Zimbabwe over the weekend.
Uganda Rugby Cranes faced a heart-wrenching defeat against Zimbabwe in their opening game, falling short 22-20 at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole on Saturday, July 20.
Despite the loss Phillip Wokorach, stated that team will come back stronger in the second game, and they will only be looking for a win
“Yes, we fell short, but we’re coming back strong in the second game, and we’re looking for a win. We’ll go back to the drawing board and come back even better.”
The Rugby Cranes put up a spirited second-half performance after trailing by 22 points at halftime, and only fell by 2 points by the end of the second half.
Wokorach, who was named the Most Valuable Player of the match, expressed his pride in the team’s effort in the second half.
“Even words can’t explain how proud I am of the boys. We fought hard, but we fell short. We shall try to clean up on the mistakes and come back stronger.”
He added that although the hopes of Uganda winning their second Rugby Africa Cup since 2007 may be gone, the team is focused on clinching a 5th place finish.
“We’re taking every game as a final,” he said confidently during the post-match interview with NBS Sport’s Desire Derekford Mugumisa.
When asked about playing alongside his brother Innocent Gwokto, who he set up for a try to bring the score to 22-20 in the game. Wokorach described the experience as a dream come true.
“It’s a privilege to play with him. I’ve always wanted to see how good he is, and I’m very proud of him,” he said.
The Rugby Cranes will now turn their attention to finishing 5th in the tournament when they face Burkina Faso in the 5th placement semifinal on Wednesday, July 24, at Muteesa II Stadium in Wankulukuku.
Wokorach emphasised the importance of starting strong, a sentiment that was shared by team captain Ivan Magomu.
“We should begin on a high. We can’t afford to start slow. If we can harness that energy from the second half right from the start, we can be unstoppable.” Magomu said.
