Sadiq questions Ochan’s position

The five-minute journey from Stade De Marrakech to Cranes’ residence at Palmeraie Resort was a pensive ride for the national team after Chan 2018 started off in the worst possible fashion.
Weeks and months of preparation were rewarded with schoolboy mistakes at individual and team level and Uganda find themselves in an all-too familiar Chan hole yet again.

By sitting at the base of Group B after the 3-1 defeat to Zambia on Sunday night, Sebastien Desabre’s side have no room for error going into Thursday’s must-win against high-flying Namibia.
It could have been all different had, as Zambia coach Wedson Nyirenda observed in the post-match press conference, Uganda utilized their early openings.

“We rode our luck early and could easily have been a goal or two down,” Nyirenda noted. “Before we stabilized and got into our element.”
Other than Derrick Nsibambi’s majestic finish and the opening exchanges when Cranes took the game to Zambia and asked a number of questions, Uganda were disappointing.

The statistics had Uganda with more possession but with no meaningful attempts at Zambia goal. In fact Toaster Nsabata, the man between the Zambia sticks, hardly had a save to make all game.
The talking point of the match since Sunday has been the third goal which killed the tie, a deflected but seemingly routine Fackson Kapumbu free-kick that should not have caused any goalkeeper in the world any trouble.

Somehow Cranes goalkeeper Benjamin Ochan fumbled the catch from inside the goal and his bounce clearly showed that the ball clearly crossed the line.
The officials correctly adjudged that the ball was legitimate and Zambia players celebrated a fortuitous goal that earned them a comfortable victory. It was an ‘Isaac Isinde’ moment.
For Ochan and Cranes, that act of madness instantly posed numerous questions.
Former Uganda Cranes goalkeeper Sadiq Wassa was at the Stade De Marrakech to lend his voice to the small contingent of Ugandans who cheered the team vociferously.
He weighed his comments carefully.
“Obviously the technical team have their reasons why they opted for Ochan and you have to respect their views because they consented to that option and handle the boys 24/7.

“But you have to wonder whether the mistake Ochan made at Cecafa (against Burundi in the third place playoff) is still playing on his mind.”
Ochan, who was excellent for KCCA last season at home and on the continent this season, has not been featuring in Mike Mutebi’s team in the league lately due to injury.
He started in goal because Ismail Watenga, who according to sources was the shoe-in to start, was suspended for the opening game.
The technical team no doubt resisted the temptation to throw third goalkeeper Said Keni at the deep end of his first major international competition.

“A boxer who has been knocked out before takes long to wash that stoppage out of his system and I would say that the same maybe applies to Ochan because when you are a goalkeeper and make a mistake in a high profile game, it can play on your mind.
“It is likely that Ochan’s head is still affected by that Cecafa blunder.”
Ochan looks set to be dropped for the Namibia game with Watenga now eligible.