We have let players down badly

I had my lunch, a sumptuous buffet at Matteo’s lest you ask, rudely interrupted on Friday. “Hi. I like your show, but you never talk about our team. This Sunday you will have no choice,” a young Ethiopian man said in halting, albeit comprehensible English.

I had been impressed that the Ethiopians had scored all those away goals in losing 5-3 to Sudan in their Afcon 2013 first leg, but as I mulled over the intruder’s words my appetite was being whetted by Uganda’s own prospects since the Cranes hadn’t done too badly in Zambia either.

It didn’t quite happen, yet again, but testament to that Ethiopian’s prophecy no wait is too long if you believe and do things right; further proof was provided by Cape Verde, who to reach their first ever finals had to do so in front of 60,000 screaming Cameroonians and a team led by arguably Africa’s greatest ever, Samuel Eto’o.

Having seen Uganda’s young team out-play the African champions for one and a half games, witnessed Godfrey Walusimbi set the tone in the shoot-out as the boys took turns to knock in superb penalties under untold pressure, raise hands to the sky to salute their creator, wave to and assure the crowd, congratulate each scorer in the centre circle and encourage the next in line to emulate, it was clear that they wanted it badly and actually believed it was finally their time.

This is not to toast to mediocrity and failure; it is chastise the rest of the nation for letting those boys down. The administrators most of whom are in it for the money, a few for the fame and almost all for a bit of both, and who will use those boys to their visibly selfish ends; and the fans who despite being loyal on match-day do little else, never bringing the leaders to book for their methods and output, all too willing to follow blindly to the point of proudly donning shirts proclaiming ‘Our Saviour’ for a man who didn’t make a tackle, score a goal or save a penalty, people who use the phrase ‘typical Uganda’ with glee.

When the Cranes didn’t beat Kenya last year I broke down for selfish reasons, I have always wanted Uganda at Afcon in my lifetime. When Ochan’s penalty was saved on Saturday I was shattered for the boys, not for myself. I have changed my attitude, we all should.

mmssali@yahoo.com
@markssali on twitter