Muleme relishing his third Chan appearance

Stout, skilled and with a fine left foot, Isaac Muleme is a player you can’t miss.
He has been on the fringes of the senior team for a while - Godfrey Walusimbi and Joseph Ochaya being the prime reasons – but a mainstay in Chan.

Morocco 2018 is his third edition, which is testament to the hardwork he has put in at a consistent level for the better part of the last five years.
“I have the almighty to thank,” the KCCA full back says of his recurrent selection to the national team for Chan tournaments. God has enabled me to be part of a third consecutive edition. Only God.”
Having played in South Africa in 2014, Rwanda in 2016 and now in Morocco, you would think that Muleme has seen it all and may not resist the temptation to rest on his laurels.
But the defender is not about to let complacency creep in.
“We have to give our all for our countries,” he says.
“Because this tournament (Chan) is both for our countries and for ourselves, it is our role to bring our A games since agents are all over and are looking for good players for various clubs in Africa and overseas.”
Muleme has warmed up to new coach Sebastien Desabre who he refers to as a ‘good coach with a fine knowledge of the game’.
The bit about Morocco that the player has appreciated most is the quality of their football pitches.
“You can only hope that Uganda has grounds of this quality some day because such playing surfaces do not give players excuses to underperform. They are top class and make long to play on them.”
There has been unending speculation that he may be leaving KCCA soon for greener pastures but the player for now is putting all his concentration on Uganda Cranes and Chan 2018.

MARRAKECH NOTEBOOK

Language challenge
The most unfortunate bit for many people living in Anglophone countries is that they struggle with the French language much more than Francophones do when in English-speaking countries. Morocco as a French colony has very, very few people who will communicate in English without difficulty. So the Ugandans in Marrakech and elsewhere have struggled to get their way round the place. Naturally though, there is always a way to get your point through be it using sign language or mumbling across your S1 French words. The one sentence I have learnt is: “Ou est le chemin d’un bon restaurant?’

Desabre’s big fan
My cab driver Moustapha is a fan of Kawkab Marrakech, the local town club. But he also has a heart for Wydad Casablanca, the country’s biggest club. He was thrilled that Uganda had hired Sebastien Desabre because he of the Frenchman’s stint at the Casablanca giants before he left to join Egyptian club Ismaily, where Uganda found him. “I loved him when he was at Wydad and I think he will make a good coach for Uganda in the long term.” Uganda Cranes fans will hope Moustapha’s wish comes to pass.

Moroccan boda bodas
Ok, boda bodas are not only a Ugandan thing. Many times we tend to make the mistake of viewing them as an inconvenience in the city. In Marrakech, they are there too. The types of bikes are different. And their riders are not as reckless as the ones in Kampala. And of course the roads are better. And not as many Marrakech people use them as the ones in Kampala. But they are in Morocco’s second largest city giving a livelihood to citizens. Their yellow cabs are a convenient option too for public transport. In Rabat, the cabs are bue while Casablanca’s are red.