Coach Desabre enjoys last laugh win that matters most

Methods vindicated: Desabre with Miya

KAMPALA. Cranes coach Sebastian Desabre asked to be judged in competitive games after starting his reign with the dismal record of one win in nine games.
Matters were not helped when a goalless draw against Tanzania stretched the run to one win in 10 in his first competitive fixture with the senior Cranes team in September.
That skepticism grew particularly with the Cranes struggling for cohesion save for an opening 20-minute spell when they conjured some good passing patterns.
But on Saturday evening Desabre was deservedly all smiles after leading the team back to consecutive Afcon campaigns following the 1-0 win over Cape Verde.
“Now maybe you can speak about my result in official game. But that is football and it is not a problem for me. But coaches always need time,” he said.
That the winning goal was scored by Patrick Kaddu further vindicated Desabre’s decision to cap the much maligned KCCA striker.
Saturday’s game was his fourth game for the senior team having made his debut as a substitute in the home goalless draw against Tanzania. Many disagreed with that decision especially with the French coach leaving more experienced options particularly Derrick Nsibambi on the bench.
“There is no problem for me. The local player play with the same level as foreign players. There is no comparison for me. Some player might be playing in Europe by chance,” Desabre explained in the post-match press conference.

Confidence in UPL players
He takes full marks for his trust in players plying their trade in the local league with Moses Waiswa impressing in all three competitive games he has started.
The Vipers midfielder appears to have filled the attacking void Desabre thought the Cranes team was lacking having previously experimented with Abraham Ndugwa.
Saturday’s 23-man matchday squad included eight domestic league players with Waiswa and Kaddu starting while Allan Kyambadde played a prominent role in the decisive goal by releasing Godfrey Walusimbi for the cross leading to the goal. The trend kept in line the French coach’s decision to spring a surprise with his lineups has in each of the four qualification games.
That included handing Waiswa his senior debut against Tanzania she Edirisa Lubega occupied the central forward role in the home game against Lesotho.
The Austria-based striker was then replaced by Kaddu for the return fixture while ths previously under utilized Allan kateregga also impressed in the same game.
But just when pundits predicted the Cape Town-based midfielder to start Isaac Muleme got the nod in the left sided midfield role.
Desabre also had a change of heart from what was expected to be all-out attack having previously preached attacking football.
He has played two holding midfielders in three of those four games with Dennis Guma and Khalid Aucho impressing in the middle of the park.