Cranes players’ inactivity remains principal worry

Summoning a player who last featured in competitive club football last October raises questions about whether Fufa technical committee monitors these stars.

With Cranes coach Bobby Williamson confirming he will be with his 22-man summoned squad for just under a week, the preparations for the Liberia World Cup trip have already been questioned.

The concerns have not been helped by a good number of first team players either not being regulars at their clubs or out of contract, raising fitness worries ahead of the 2014 Brazil World Cup qualifier in Liberia on March 24.

Out-of-contract with Iceland’s IBV, Tonny Mawejje has already been honest with himself by withdrawing from the trip citing unfitness, although Bobby insists the player has not pulled out.

“No he’s not pulled out,” argued the Scot before clashing with his own thoughts, “He’s on my squad but he won’t be travelling.
“He hasn’t been playing competitive football since last year and yes there is a number of players that have not been playing at their clubs. I’m aware of that.”

Mawejje’s last competitive club football came four months ago and he has been in the country since last November.
The player, though, claims he will now return to IBV to pen a deal the Iceland club are offering him.

He had shelved it with hope of securing a better arrangement with another unnamed European club but that has since fallen through.

Technical team’s competence
Godfrey ‘Baba’ Kizito’s two-year contract with Vietnam side NaviBank also ended and he has not played lately while Hassan Wasswa has just made just three appearances – all off the bench - for KCC after Fifa intervened to sort his ITC case.

Goalkeepers Dennis Onyango and Abel Dhaira can hardly sniff first team football at Mamelodi Sundowns in South Africa and Simba in Tanzania respectively.

According to Mike Mutyaba’s statistics on the TP Mazembe website, the midfielder has not played a competitive game since moving there this year.

“Like I said we will keep monitoring them in the last few days and I will select those I feel are capable of the job. I can only take 18 players.”
The whole scenario of summoning club-less and inactive players, especially for a supposedly foreign-based star who has been in the country since November, leaves a question over whether the technical team actually tracks them. The Cranes trail Senegal in second place with two points, with the Lions of Teranga topping Group J with four.

amwanguhya@ug.nationmedia.com

SUMMONED CRANES SIDE

Goalkeepers: Denis Onyango (Mamelodi Sundowns), Abel Dhaira (Simba), and Hamza Muwonge (Vipers)

Defenders: Denis Guma (SCVU), Simeon Masaba (URA), Joseph Ochaya (Asante Kotoko), Henry Kalungi (Railhawks), Isaac Isinde (St. George), Nicholas Wadada (Vipers), Godfrey Walusimbi (CS Don Bosco), Andrew Mwesigwa (Ordabasy).Midfielders: Boban Zirintusa (Power Dynamos), Kizito Luwagga (Leixieos), Said Kyeyune (URA), Mike Mutyaba (TP Mazembe),Tony Mawejje (free agent), Musa Mudde (Simba), Hassan Wasswa (KCC), Geoffrey Kizito (Saigon Xuan), Moses Oloya (Saigon Xuan).

Strikers: Hamis Kiiza (Yanga), Daniel Sserunkuma (Gor Mahia), Geoffrey Massa (Yenicami), Brian Umony (Azam), Emmanuel Okwi (Etoile Du Sahel)