Cranes fans should not get ahead of themselves

Fans must not think that Cranes will easily breeze through the Afcon group stages because they have been drawn against familiar rivals. Photo by Eddie Chicco

After a nearly four-decade absence at the big time, Uganda will reintroduce itself to the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals with a match not dissimilar from the one it last played at African football’s flagship tournament.

Accra, where Uganda lost the 1978 Afcon final 2-0 at the hands of hosts Ghana, and Port-Gentil, the Gabonese seaport city where the aforesaid match will be dittoed on January 17th, are cut from the same cloth.

Both cities find the Atlantic coast huggable and are renowned for their excellent deep-sea fishing.
Ugandans will be hoping that this is as far as the comparisons go. They sure do not want to start the 2017 Afcon campaign the way its predecessor ended in 1978.

Source of hope
An encouraging head-to-head record that has seen Ghana’s Black Stars careen dizzily in recent matches against Uganda Cranes is a source of hope.
Decent head-to-head records set out to provoke a reaction, and one of the most fre-quent, it seems, is complacency.

One can only hope that it is only the fans that are de-lighting in frog-marching practicality round the back. Cranes captain Geoffrey Massa did elevate form over function when, after being buttonholed by the media, he contrived to say that Uganda can ‘make it to the final’.

While such a bold statement infuses belief into the team, it also invites unnecessary pressure in the same vein.

Massa of all people should know that Cranes fans’ propensity to treat themselves with a sense of entitlement is matched by their over sensitivity to failure.

Many of them dangerously think that the group stage will be a cakewalk of sorts because Uganda has Ghana’s number and it can just about shed Mali.

Egypt, whom Uganda have not beaten in half a dozen competitive matches, is the only side in Group D being treated with more than just a fleeting degree of respect.

Immense seriousness
Thankfully, Cranes coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic does not share similar perversely narrow thoughts.

He is treating the task at hand with immense seriousness well knowing that there is work to be done. The Serbian meticulously chose his words when invited to describe the group. He called it ‘competitive [and] tough’.

Above all, Micho made it perfectly clear that Cranes will stand a chance if rock-solid preparations are rolled out.

This means trial matches, a training camp, and more trial matches. This will need monetary support from government. Lots of it.
Uganda Cranes can catch a whiff of success on their return to the big time.
History, though, won’t do much. It is what is done in the present that will impact the future.

Wokorach: Swan shouldn’t be turned into ugly duckling

T ransformations in Ugandan rugby do not come as profound as the one involving Eric Kasiita. The 26-year-old’s switch from wing to flanker seemed destined to be a mere footnote.

It has, however, shaped up to be a gripping feel-good story.
Last weekend, Kasiita delivered a barnstorming performance during the Uganda Cup semifinal between his Toyota Buffaloes outfit and record winners Hima Cement Heathens.
The performance itself was not adequate enough to stop Heathens from advancing to yet another final that they contested yesterday.

While Kasiita is finding his range in a new milieu as a loose forward, Phillip Wokorach does not seem to be having much luck.

Make no mistake, Wokorach is by some distance the best thing that’s happened to Ugandan rugby - both club and Test - this side of the year. His prodigious talent is however principally better harnessed when he is deployed as a fullback, full stop.

Transformations have not been rosy for Wokorach. It is not that he operates in a strait-jacket or is one dimensional for that matter.
The general tenor of the discourse when Heathens snapped up Kenyan international Vincent Mose revolved around who would win the battle to done the No.15 jersey.

It is a near carbon copy call that national coaches have also had to mull over.
The plethora of competent options at national level such as James Odong and Joseph Aredo have not seen Wokorach relinquish the No.15 jersey.
What informs the decision is that deploying Wokorach at right wing vastly reduces the chances of the wunderkind using tools in his repertoire (the legendary sidestep as well as those distinctive ‘up and unders’) to break the line. Having Odong, a lefty, at right wing makes sense because he cuts into the weaker side of his adversary.

Wokorach, at 14, though, makes little sense. Heathens’ new coach Muhammad Athiyo seems to think otherwise. He reckons having Mose at 15 and Wokorach 14 is productive. It was anything but in the semifinal match against Buffaloes.

I would not be surprised if roles between the two backs were reversed in yesterday’s final against Buzz Pirates. Some transformations are worth not trying especially when one wants a swan to change to an ugly duckling.

What we now know.....

We know that this past week was one that Ugandan sport - cricket especially - will be in a hurry to forget.

What with the passing of three people that was felt deeply by many Ugandan sport enthusiasts! We know that the doom and gloom all started when a fatal accident in Magamaga claimed the lives of Justine Ezra Ligyalingi Senior and his wife.

Less than 24 hours later, another death was reported after multiple organ failure meant that Chris Azuba stopped being referred to in the present tense.

We know that both Ligyalingi Senior and Azuba left indelible marks on Ugandan cricket after serving in different capacities with great distinction. Azuba’s influence was extended to Ugandan basketball. He not only played the sport (turning out for the defunct Blue Jackets), but also mentored several players.

This column condoles with the families of the departed.

@robertmadoi