I think at this point everyone has realised that we have one of the weakest squads for a team that is trying to qualify for a tournament like AFCON.
If the FA boss wasn’t already aware of the scale of the national team’s troubles, he most definitely is now.
What has really happened and can the Serbian Wolf fix it?
Those are the two burning questions right now, and this Tanzania defeat, and most importantly the manner of it, should set alarm bells ringing.
Uganda Cranes have played poorly before but rarely have they looked consistently bereft as they are now. This isn’t just poor football, it is the poor application, poor organisation, and, judging by the way we are playing, poor preparation too.
It’s as if there is no system to follow, we can hardly pass the ball more than 10 passes and that’s on the Coach and his staff, as well as the players.
Whatever they’re doing right now, it isn’t working and Friday’s match made that crystal clear.
Continuing to trust the gaffer with that kind of performance is suicidal and before we know it, we will be back to Pot 4 which we had made our own in yester years before Dr. Lawrence Mulindwa’s reign.
Suspect Team Selection
Where do I even start?
The woeful choice of starting a misfiring striker in Emma Okwi ahead of a free-scoring Steven Mukwala at Asante Kotoko?
Or the placement of two defensive midfielders in Khalid Aucho and Siraje Sentamu against a weaker opposition with offensive-minded players like Allan Okello, Travis Mutyaba, etc warming the bench?
Does the coach really believe in creating partnerships for future purposes?? How did a leader and solid defensive kingpin in Timothy Awanyi ended on the bench yet he plays regularly at his Israel club?
Has the word merit lost meaning to Micho, if not, why does he continue fielding players who rarely get playing time at their teams and expect them to deliver at the national team?
Sincerely, you field Kenneth Semakula, Aziz Kayondo, Livingstone Mulondo, Halid Lwaliwa, Khalid Aucho, Siraje Sentamu, and Joseph Ochaya in one team at the same time and expect positive results?
Get me right, it’s not that they are bad players, no, but are all defensive-minded.
Unending mistrust of creative players
It was painful to watch, we were very sluggish, nervous, and without any meaningful plan to hurt the opponent.
Agreed it’s a transition like we are told but at 19, Messi was a starter in Barcelona’s star-studded team, and Ronaldo was terrorising defences in the Premier League under Ferguson, when will Okello or Mutyaba grow to be trusted??
Creativity is lacking in the Uganda Cranes setup yet players who can offer it, are consistently benched for defensive-minded ones.
How then do we expect to score without creating chances?
The writer is a former FUFA Administrator and one of the three Vipers Soccer Club directors.
By: Haruna Kyobe
Courtesy photos
