KAMPALA, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Uganda Cranes head coach Sebastien Desabre has dropped two players from his squad ahead of the 2018 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) in Morocco.

Ahmed Hussein, the Uganda FA spokesman, said on Wednesday morning that after the two international friendly games against Guinea and Congo Brazzaville, the coach decided to drop Tom Masiko and Mustapha Kizza.

"The final 23-man squad is now complete, while the two players will fly back to Uganda after camping with the team in Rabat, Morocco since last week," added Hussein.

In the first friendly match Uganda Cranes tied Guinea 1-1 and lost 1-0 on Tuesday night to Congo Brazzaville. Coach Desabre said that after the two build-up games, he has now found the patterns for the team and will continue to prepare in the few days before their opening game against Zambia on Jan. 14.

The Jan. 13-Feb. 4 tournament features 16 teams grouped in four pools. Uganda, bundled with Zambia, Namibia and Cote d'Ivoire in Group B, will be based in the town of Marrakech.

Defending champions DR Congo failed to qualify for the championship.

Although each of the 16 qualified teams will pocket 175,000 U.S. dollars, the winners will smile away with 1.25 million dollars, the runner-up 700,000 dollars, semifinalists 400,000 dollars, and quarter-finalists 300,000 dollars.

Squad:

Ismail Watenga, Benjamin Ochan, Saidi Keni, Nicholas Wakiro Wadada, Joseph Nsubuga, Timothy Awanyi, Mustapha Mujuzi, Bernard Muwanga, Isaac Muleme, Aggrey Madoi, Milton Karisa, Paul Mucureezi, Allan Kyambadde, Seif Batte, Rahmat Senfuka, Taddeo Lwanga, Abubaker Kasule, Moses Waisswa, Ibrahim Saddam Juma, Muzamir Mutyaba, Shaban Muhammad, Derrick Nsibambi, Nelson Senkatuka

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