Iguma not taking Cranes opportunity for granted

Kampala. Denis Iguma still remembers that evening of March 2013 with both relish and a tinge of sadness.
It was after that match where he slipped on the senior Cranes jersey and played his first international qualifier of that magnitude that the man who handed him the chance saw the exit.

The 2-0 defeat for Uganda at the hands of Liberia in Monrovia, then, hit the final nail into Bobby Williamson’s fate as Cranes coach as the Scotsman was showed the exit days after the team’s return to Kampala.
“It was very tough,” Iguma, who is in camp preparing with his Cranes teammates to face Cape Verde on Saturday, told Daily Monitor.
Uganda need only one point off the islanders to confirm their second successive Nations Cup qualification with a match to spare.

“It was very difficult for me because this is a man who had given me my first opportunity to represent Uganda at such a big level, and also for the players because coach Bobby had been around for some good time.
That Monrovia defeat, thanks to Patrick Weah and Anthony Laffor’s goals, left Uganda at the bottom of their 2014 World Cup qualification group.
It also came after the failed 2013 Nations Cup qualification.
“But we had to move on with the new coach who took us to Africa Cup (Micho Sredojevic) and now we also have a new one (Sebastien Desabre) and we are also about to qualify back-to-back.”
At the time in 2013, Uganda were desperate to fill the right back void left by loyal servant Simeon Masaba, with Nicholas Wadada also probing for it then.

Both comfortably play for the national team now, with Iguma boasting of more accessories as he can operate across defence and midfield.
Actually, at his current Kuwait club Kazma, which he joined after four years at two Lebanese clubs, the versatile player plays just in front of the back four.
Cranes coach Desabre has also used him in the same position at the national team’s most recent matches, but he is ready for any role at the top level.

“To be honest, every footballer whether old or when starting out, the dream is to play for the national team,” Iguma explained. “Only a few live that dream. I’m privileged to be one of those and I can’t take the opportunityfor granted.
“And to think that I’m one of the few that could be at the second Africa Cup finals successively I can only thank God, my family, fans and my teammates.”

Iguma played his junior football with the Kampala Kids League (KKL) and Entebbe Young, with his senior trade taking him to SC Villa, Victoria University and later abroad.
Uganda top Group L on 10 points, five more than Cape Verde and Tanzania, and Iguma is confident the Cranes will stay there till the end.

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