Continental appearance eludes Cranes even after Chan initiation

What you need to know:

SOCCER. Coached by Hungarian László Csaba, Uganda Cranes had a chance of breaking a 30-year wait for the chance to participate in a continental tournament. But Tanzania dumped any hopes after defeating Uganda in a Chan qualifier at Nakivubo. Below is the team

Caesar Okhuti: Playing for the then Bunnamwaya (Vipers now), Okhuti was one of the hottest strikers in the country at the time. Good in the air and robust on the ground, he first made his name at the Arua-based Ediofe Holy Hill Tigers before Lawrence Mulindwa forked deep into his pockets to sign him. Despite leading Vipers to the 2010 league trophy, Okhuti was generally struggling to replicate his old form. He played a few games for The Cranes and soon went off the radar. In 2014, he quit the Kitende-based team for South Sudan’s El Nasir FC. However, at the start of this season, he bounced back with Express and banged in the goals that forced KCC to sign him in the January transfer window. He was also part of the Cranes team that played at the recently concluded Chan tournament in Rwanda.

Geoffrey Sserunkuma: He was playing for Nalubale FC at that time. Sserunkuma has had a nomadic career that has seen him play at Horizon FC, Police, KCC, St. George, Bloemfontein Celtic, Vasco da Gama, Bidvest Wits, Vasco da Gama and SC Victoria University. He is now at Lweza FC. He also played for Uganda Cranes for a number of years but was never a starter most of the time, despite a commendable return of goals. After a long absence from the national team, he was selected for 2016 Chan in Rwanda.

Musa Doca: Short but very good in the air, Doca was at URA FC at the time. He was one of the defenders primed to take over from the likes of Ibrahim Sekagya and Timothy Batabaire, but he never lived up to that billing. Last season, he won the Uganda Cup with SC Villa before being jettisoned to Simba.

Steven Bengo: One of the most talented players to never fulfill their potential. Bengo, in his first stint at SC Villa then, was a joy to watch. Capable of controlling the tempo of the game on his own, he slowly went off the radar and has since played for Yanga (Tanzania), URA and KCC. He rejoined Villa in 2014 but was dropped at the start of this season. Evidently a shadow of his former self, he is now at Soana.

Joseph Owino: He was playing for URA at the time. A good reader of the game, Owino joined SC Villa in 2007 after impressing for Masaka LC. His elegance in the heart of defence coupled with initiating attacks through the middle of the pack endeared him to many fans. However, his career has stagnated due to a knee injury that he sustained during the 2008 Cecafa Senior Challenge match against Rwanda. He has many stints in Tanzania with Yanga and Simba. He is now back at URA.

Hamza Muwonge: At that time, he was goalkeeping for Bunnamwaya. A safe pair of hands on his day, Muwonge’s loyalty and consistency at his club earned him a number of caps for Uganda Cranes. Currently he is at Kenya’s Thika United.

Anthony Bongole: He was playing for KCC then. In his heyday, Bongole tore defenses apart and was a dreaded striker, which earned him a number of Cranes call-ups. He would quit KCC for Proline FC then joined SC Victoria University. Currently, he plays for Bright Stars.

Dan Wagaluka (C): He was the captain of the team. A right-sided winger with the pace of a kite, Wagaluka’s footballing journey in the national league started at Iganga TC. He has since played for Villa, then URA, APR FC, Soana FC, AFC Leopards and Lweza FC. Currently, he plies his trade for Soana.
Sam Ssenoga: The then KCC left-back was one of the players that led the club to the 2007 league trophy and played an integral part in their Caf Champions League campaign. He later joined Water FC but quit football and is currently running a butchery in Meat Packers, Industrial Area.

Johnson Bagoole: He was in URA at that moment. A defensive midfielder also capable of playing as a centre-half, Bagoole also started out in Iganga. Mike Mutebi handed the unknown Bagoole his first Cranes competitive cap in the 2006 World Cup qualifier against Ghana at Namboole. With his star rising, URA snapped him and the rest is history. He has featured for a number of clubs in Rwanda and Kenya. He quit Sofapaka at the start of last season and is now unattached.

Julius Mulindwa: He comes from Lukuli, which has produced good footballers like Hassan Mubiru and Philip Ssozi, who all went on to become national team regulars. Powerfully built, Mulindwa stormed the national scene with Victors before Bunnamwaya took him up. However, he found the going hard and after a few seasons, he went back to Victors. He currently lives a quiet life in Lukuli, where he coincidentally started his career.