Basena: A disservice to my colleagues if I don’t apply for job
Trying His Luck. Basena confirmed he will apply for the Cranes job. PHOTO BY EDDIE CHICCO
What you need to know:
- Basena, who replaced Micho Sredojevic in the interim before Desabre took over permanently in December 2017, congratulated Cisse and Belmadi saying the message to football leaders will have been clear.
KAMPALA. Moses Basena will give the Uganda Cranes coaching job another shot after the former national team coach revealed to Daily Monitor he will submit his application.
Uganda’s most coveted coaching job became vacant after Frenchman Sebastien Desabre quit for Pyramids FC in Egypt following the Cranes elimination from the Nations Cup finals by Senegal in the last 16.
Fufa announced in the wake of Desabre’s departure that the job, including the rest of the technical, administrative and medical team roles, were up for reapplication, and that the opportunity was open to both nationals and foreigners with ability to do it.
The debate has since, especially after indigenous coaches Aliou Cisse and Djamel Belmadi led their native countries Senegal and Algeria to this year’s Nations Cup final, been whether Fufa should trust Ugandan tacticians or stick with the foreigners trend. Basena, who replaced Micho Sredojevic in the interim before Desabre took over permanently in December 2017, congratulated Cisse and Belmadi saying the message to football leaders will have been clear.
“I’m happy our colleagues have done it and this should encourage us and our federations that it can be done,” Basena told this newspaper before opening up on his next move.
“Of course I will apply,” confirmed the 52-year-old, “If I don’t apply, I think I will have done myself and local coaches a huge disservice.
“I mean, if I was second to Desabre when I applied last time, that shows I qualify. If I don’t apply, it would be wrong.”
