Players, coaches feel betrayed by Magogo

Kampala- Cranes players and coaching staff were left reeling hours after they were dismissed 3-0 by Tanzania on Sunday, questioning Fufa president Moses Magogo’s loyalty.

Simon Msuva, Erasto Nyoni and Aggrey Morris were on target as the Taifa Stars dispatched Uganda at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam, the performance arousing all kinds of inquests and allegations on social media.

Cranes coach Sebastien Desabre made four changes from the team that drew goalless with Tanzania last year; starting with Timothy Awany, Tadeo Lwanga, Allan Kyambadde and Krizestom Ntambi.

Murushid Jjuuko, Khalid Aucho and Joseph Ochaya were the players from the Kampala tie that did not come on while Hassan Wasswa travelled despite being suspended.

But Tanzania showed they were the hungrier of the two sides, easily seeing off Cranes to leave a number of Ugandans riled and claiming the match could have been fixed. They also questioned team selections, saying Uganda did not set out to win.

It wasn’t me
Allegations on social media were also levied on Fufa president Magogo, some claiming the federation could have had a hand in dictating the line-up.

Within a couple of hours after the match, Magogo issued a 236-word statement literally leaving it all for Desabre, his coaching staff and players to answer.

While he communicated some insights into the build-up to the match, Magogo’s hurried statement neither had class nor leadership – only issued in the heat of the moment to quickly exonerate himself.

“As administration,” said Magogo, “We provided everything the technical team and players wanted. All allowances and outstanding bonuses were fully paid before the match, the coach asked for a camp in Egypt, we provided it.”

Players have their say
Daily Monitor spoke to four members of the Cranes contingent yesterday as they departed Dar es Salaam en route to Addis Ababa to Kampala; three of them players and one coach and they all expressed their disappointment at Magogo’s social media statement. One, a player, even dismissed Magogo’s assertion that “all allowances and outstanding bonuses were fully paid before the match.”

The player, who – along with his colleagues we shall not name to protect their national team careers, said: “The president is putting us to shame more.

“He has to stand with us together, and even the money he wrote in his statement wasn’t given to us.”
Magogo’s statement continued: “The coach has full independent hand to select the team including the lineup. We have and will never interfere with the team call-up and lineup.”

There has been – over the years - talk of some coaching staff asking for a portion of payments from players’ bonuses in order to secure national team call-ups or playing slots but we have not independently verified this.

“Bonuses of 2500 USD per player for the win and 1500 USD for a 0-0 draw were announced before the match of Tanzania,” added Magogo.
“I want to listen to any explanation why it is not the coach and the team responsible for this dismal performance but the Fufa President and/or the administration.

"Now is the time for the coaches to explain their selections and tactics but not before the match. We will wait for the technical explanations from the technical team of the match.”
The players this newspaper spoke to say they felt betrayed by the president’s statement, wondering whether he thought they didn’t also want to earn the winning bonuses.

Coach speaks out
“We feel embarrassed by the president’s statement after we lost,” said one of three national team senior players we spoke to, “We thought he had to stand with us even if we lose. But his statement was uncalled for,” added another.

One of the coaches requested fans to calm down but was equally shocked at Magogo’s statement before hearing from them.

“It’s shocking that the president reacted like that without even receiving a report from us first,” said the coach.
Uganda qualified for the 2019 Nations Cup finals in Egypt as Group L leaders with 13 points, and second-placed Tanzania on eight.

The Fufa President’s statement

This is the worst result of the Uganda Cranes in my administration. No one can feel more disappointed than me.

As administration we provided everything the technical team and players wanted

We therefore all ought to understand the following facts:

1. All allowances and outstanding bonuses were fully paid before the match.

2. The coach asked for a camp in Egypt, we provided it

3. The coach has full independent hand to select the team including the lineup. We have and will never interfere with the team callup and lineup

4. Bonuses of 2500 USD per player for the win and 1500 USD for a 0-0 draw were announced before the match of Tz

5. Despite NCS not providing the funds required, the FUFA Administration mobilized funds and cleared everything outstanding before the match

I want to listen to any explanation why it is not the coach and the team responsible for this dismal performance but the FUFA President and/or the administration

We are also football fans hurt by the bad results. We are also football fans sometimes in disagreement with the decisions of the coaches but we support them because they are the most technical

Now is the time for the coaches to explain their selections and tactics but not before the match

We will wait for the technical explanations from the technical team of the match

It is Our Game, It is Our Country.

Eng. Moses Hassim Magogo

[email protected]