Cranes case for domestic coaches

KAMPALA. Fufa officially opened the portal for Cranes job applications on Monday, which exercise expires on October 29 when Zambian and African football legend Kalusha Bwalya and four other Ugandans vet candidates to replace former boss Micho Sredojevic.
“Thank you for the invitation @OfficialFUFA,” Bwalya tweeted in acknowledgement of the appointment to lead the vetting committee, “I am part of a very competent team.”
Bwalya’s team also includes Fufa CEO Edgar Watson, federation technical committee’s Asuman Lubowa, Livingstone Kyambadde of the Uganda Coaches Association (UCA) and a representative from National Council of Sports (NCS).
A good number of people, most of whom acknowledge Bwalya’s expertise and competency in the game, have questioned Fufa’s choice of a foreigner to head this committee.
The argument is that this is a clear indication that Fufa do not only distrust their own, they are determined to replace Micho with another foreign coach after Micho.

Mwesigwa backs Sekagya
However, Fufa spokesperson Ahmed Hussein, in a statement on Fufa website, insists “The job is open to Ugandans and foreign coaches,” and that “Fufa executive will take the final decision on who becomes the next Uganda Cranes coach.”
Former Cranes captain Andy Mwesigwa is the latest to weigh in, arguing that the job advert in itself could be a waste of time and that Fufa should appoint a local coach.
“To me I think we don’t need to waste time with this simple matter,” he said, “Let this job be given to Ibrahim Sekagya. He is young and very energetic, tried and very well exposed.”
It is, however, not clear if Sekagya, who is settled in with New York Red Bulls coaching staff, is interested. He had not responded to us on the matter by press time.
Mwesigwa replaced Sekagya as Cranes captain when the latter retired in 2012. Mwesigwa himself has never formally announced retirement but is no longer considered for Cranes duty, his last national team game the 2-0 away defeat to Guinea in Casablanca in 2014.

Basena wants it
“I think it’s time we learn from countries like Ghana. The rest of African countries are nurturing their own local coaches and yes they are doing well.
“The only problem is that we need to give them time and at the end of the day we shall get what.”
Mujib Kasule, Proline coach and Caf instructor, agrees with Mwesigwa. “I think we have coaches here that are ready to take on the job,” said Kasule.
“Over the years local coaches have elevated themselves with coaching education and we just have to believe in them.”
Interim Cranes coach Moses Basena himself wants the job permanently. “No one wants to live for only tomorrow,” he earlier told this newspaper, “I hope it doesn’t end this year. I hope we can go on into the next year and beyond.

Personality check
However, German trained KCCA manager Mike Mutebi, up there with Brazilian and German tutored Sam Timbe – another contender for Cranes job – as the most qualified football teachers, has reservations over a local taking over now.
“The problem is our colleagues suffer from a crisis of personality,” he told Daily Monitor, “You know, the coaches will always come and tell you we have a problem with Fufa but they cannot face them and tell them, ‘no, this will not work.’
“So, by doing so, the authority thinks we do not have the right personality to do the job, yet the coaches have the knowledge.
“But you know to coach you must have personality. You must be able to make the decisions, you must be able to tell somebody ‘you’ve given me this job, and you think I know how to do this.”
There have previously been cases of Fufa allegedly interfering with the coach’s job, a case in point when David Obua was controversially thrown out of Cranes camp before Uganda played Kenya in 2011.