Magogo: Sacking Micho would reverse Cranes transition
Magogo (C) is joined by his vice-president Darius Mugoye (L) during the briefing. PHOTO/COURTSEY
What you need to know:
Cranes had failed to progress through the Chan group stages on a sixth attempt after beating Senegal, drawing with DR Congo and losing to Ivory Coast to finish third on four points in Group B.
An insipid Chan performance outrightly put Uganda Cranes coach Micho Sredojevic's neck on the guillotine.
The man supposed to wield the axe - Fufa president Moses Magogo - has saved the Serbian when he told the nation yesterday that they are trusting him to steer the national team through the ongoing national team transition.
"Although the results were not what we wanted but we saw some positives.Chan was not an event but an journey towards transition.Of course transitions sometimes bring sadness to us as fans but in the end you achieve," he said after a luncheon at Fufa Complex in Mengo as the federation officially welcomed back the team from Algeria.
Cranes had failed to progress through the Chan group stages on a sixth attempt after beating Senegal, drawing with DR Congo and losing to Ivory Coast to finish third on four points in Group B.
"You can't compare today's players with those that left.There were commendable individual performances by some players that we can build on to transition these boys to the senior team.
I saw the fighting spirit in the team and I'm sure the future is much better.
"Our expectations shouldn't be so high because it takes time a player time to transition so let us give them a chance to make a team that can take us another decade.
We are focusing on the Afcon qualifiers in March and this motivated these players with $2500(Shs9m) each," Magogo added.
Focus on UPL
At a worrying time when most of the foreign based players are not active at their respective clubs and the Afcon qualifiers around the corner, the spotlight turns to the StarTimes Uganda Premier League to produce Cranes stars.
"We maintained a foreign coach as Chan boss (Chan had 15 local based coaches in charge of the 18 in Algeria) because majority of the local players in Chan team will form the bulk to face Tanzania next in Afcon.
"We need to make our league facilitated and have clubs that play on the continent regularly and then believe of making it far in the tournament," he opined.
A relieved soul, Micho believes the Chan cause was lost in the last match that they lacked the mental edge over Ivory Coast.Like his boss, he is of a view that a brilliant local league will breed an improved Cranes future.
" I believe that by March we will pick the most competitive team to play Tanzania.
"We are at a time of planting now and we will soon harvest, were going to correct the wrongs and keep the good lessons (from Chan)," he revealed.
He is planning to meet the head coaches of UPL clubs to map out a combined strategic plan that will nurture players for Cranes.
"We are going to meet with the coaches and have a technical talk about the standard techniques like controling the ball and quick decision making.
"We need to put emphasis on attacking approach in the league and have a style of play to improve the national team," Micho emphasized.
