Bad company was always going to hurt Golola brand

Truth provides eternal liberation, but lies always have an expiry date. I will call it an invention because until this week, we were sold a dummy that the much anticipated kickboxing title fight between Moses Golola and American Richard Abraham would actually take place.
Well, that fight will no longer take place after organisers of the event – Golola Promotions – reportedly played hide and seek with Abraham’s camp for reasons well known to themselves.
From the American’s camp exclusive email to Daily Monitor six days to the ill-fated fight, it was clear the bout was a phantom sellout.
They had been frustrated by the uncanny behavior from Golola’s corner regarding travel and accommodation in Kampala as – by contract – Golola Promotions were to take care of air tickets for Abraham and two other people, and their accommodation while here. “At this time, we still do not have airline tickets or any information in respect to the itinerary for the week,” wrote Justin Whiley, the vice president of Wako-USA Kickboxing.
“We have made several unsuccessful attempts to get this information and have received nothing but false information and lies.
“They have twice sent airline confirmations stating that the tickets have been paid for. In both cases the reservations were just that, reservations only and have since been cancelled.
“We were provided details as to the hotel we were to stay. In checking with the hotel, there is no record of us arriving this week, another lie by Golola’s group.”
That Golola’s camp have kept their known phone numbers off (from Tuesday until press time yesterday) when we have tried to get their side of the story tells a tale of its own.
From the time Golola took this sport by its horns and turned it around with his self-assuring antics and marketing charm, his brand allure has never been in question. It is the people he surrounds himself with that were always going to hurt the brand.

Jamal makes strong case for Cranes, but not real deal yet

Young Salim Jamal aroused impassioned social media hysteria as the former KCC and current El Merreikh goalkeeper stood tallest between the Sudanese side’s goalposts at the just ended Kagame Cecafa Cup.

The excitement hit maniac levels when the 2012 Young Goalkeeper of The Year - having already saved one spot-kick in the quarters - stopped two penalties and netted one in the 3-0 shootout semifinal victory over his former employers KCC.

“Jamal is the best goalkeeper in Africa. End of the story,” posted scribe Jacobs Hakim Seaman, before, together with a host of others, went on to make a case for the shot-stopper – in his early 20s - to be summoned by Micho Sredojevic for Cranes.

It is an understandable claim because it is never an accident that a goalkeeper saves two spot kicks against Tusker in Mapinduzi and converts the other as KCC won the title; stops three successive penalties against his current employers and Zambia’s Nkana in the Champions League, and the three in Cecafa.

Yet while stopping spot kicks and standing tall in one-on-one situations is his forte, Jamal can be dangerously susceptible in aerial challenges and, as his mistake proved costly as Nkana eliminated KCC from the Champions League, he is prone to amateur howlers.

Cranes first choice Dennis Onyango and Robert Odongkara are still miles ahead of Jamal and I do not see him staking any serious claim against them yet, but the Merreikh goalkeeper has, without a doubt, made a strong case to be included on the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup team in Ethiopia, December.

Umony-Cecafa marriage should help reignite striker’s career

He will start the 2014/15 season with KCC as the striker still believes he has a lot left in him to earn yet another professional move abroad.

In his mid-20s, Brian Umony also still believes he has a lot to offer for Uganda Cranes as he made it clear he will continue fighting to get back to the top in a candid interview he gave Saturday Monitor recently.

The journey-man from KCC, SuperSport United, Pretoria Tuks, Portland Timbers, Binh Duong, Azam and back to KCC in a space of three years has, however, struggled to add to his nine Cranes goals despite being involved in three of Uganda’s 2015 Nations Cup prequalifying games.

But the striker, whose fonder relationship with Cranes has mainly come in the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup where he debuted top-scoring with five goals as Uganda lifted the 2008 edition before adding three others in 2012, somewhat rediscovered his mojo in the club version of the championship.

Although he is still struggling in application as seen with the several wasted chances by the striker for KCC in Kigali, the five goals as he grabbed the golden boot will have boosted his confidence ahead of Uganda’s group stage qualification to the 2015 Afcon in Morocco.

Strikers thrive on goals and the five Umony grabbed despite KCC’s fourth place finish will not have done himself and Cranes any danger.

Di Maria no panic buy, but Utd must sign two more
Many have questioned Manchester United’s spending of £59.7m in bringing in ex-Real Madrid star Angel Di Maria.

I’m personally not surprised given that United find themselves in a desperate situation as costs of failing to qualify for this season’s Champions League weigh heavily on them.

Money and a little bit of a strong tradition associated with Britain’s most successful club are the only chalice left to attract the big stars.

Besides, if they had failed to secure the Argentine’s signature, vice chairman Ed Woodward and his board would have been accused of not ‘showing the money,’ let alone have it; of being impotent in a market Chelsea, Real, Barcelona and PSG are claiming exclusivity.

They would have been reminded of their sins in looking on as Chelsea snapped up Cesc Fabregas and Real effortlessly grabbed Toni Kroos – two players that would have arrested the mediocrity in the United midfield.

It is true that the areas United lack most are defence and midfield but it is not true that the Red Devils did not need Di Maria. United need someone to add that urgency, brain work and pace going forward and Di Maria fits the bill perfectly alongside Mata, Rooney and Robin van Persie.

But what is not debatable is that adding Di Maria alone will not help the cause. With four days left for the transfer window to shut, United must sign that proven central defender and that dominant holding midfielder if they are to be anything close to formidable this campaign.

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