Shaban anxious to strike Cranes notes

Muhammad Shaban is itching to get his national team career going in earnest when the Cranes open their 2023 Afcon qualifying campaign against Algeria on Saturday.

But the 24-year-old and his teammates, currently camped in Tunisia, will now have to play this match in the capital Algiers instead of Oran, a city where the Fennec Foxes traditionally host their international soccer games.

Oran is a port city in northwest Algeria. The Algerian Football Federation had their request to Caf for the match to be moved to the July 5, 1962 Stadium in Algiers instead of original venue in Oran.

According to the Algerian FA, the move is because “the new Olympic Stadium in Oran is hosting the next Mediterranean Games of Oran 2022 and cannot be functional on June 4 for the meeting of the national team.”

Oran City will host 26 countries competing in 24 different disciplines, with the main competition venue being the new Olympic Stadium. 

“The infrastructure was built specifically for the occasion, and is in final preparations ahead of the games’ launch in a month,” said Algerian authorities.

“The organising committee of the Mediterranean Games has issued a veto wishing to preserve the state of the lawn 20 days before the opening ceremony.”

No problem

Regardless, since hosting of the game is on Algeria, the new development should not be a concern for Uganda. Nor should it be a worry for Shaban’s drive to redirect his career after some really bad decisions in club movements, plus injuries.

After he shot the lights out of defenders and goalkeepers in his early days with Onduparaka, Shaban was expected to finally explode at his next address, KCCA.

But that was not the case overall, the striker ending up with a move to Moroccan side Raja Casablanca.

Injuries, impatience and poor personal choices saw him return home.

Changed man 

He joined Vipers while injured. But after almost two years, the two amicably parted ways and he returned to his spiritual home, Onduparaka, this just ended season. 

The returns have been 15 league goals, only behind top scorer and Vipers striker Caesar Manzoki on 18.

And that is why Micho is trusting him and Fahad Bayo to be part of Uganda’s first of two June Afcon qualifying games against Algeria and Niger.

‘It is everyone’s dream,” Shaban told Fufa website from Tunisia. 

“Every player is working hard to get there and also go abroad. Being called back to the national team makes me a happy player. 

“When a player joins the national team, he needs to work harder to see that he stays there because you are not representing yourself but the nation.”

On his previous failings, Shaban said: ‘I’m a changed man because when I went to Morocco I had not yet matured, but at least now I’m a different Shaban.

“I have learnt a lot, so any deal which comes through, I will make sure that I do not repeat the mistakes. [Pro football] comes with a lot of challenges; you become home sick, new food, different weather, but I was not patient enough. 

“The injury frustrated me even though the team wanted me to stay but I had to request for my release to come back home and rebuild myself.”

And rebuild himself he has, now onto continuing the process with the national team.

Uganda vs Algeria H2H

1968: Algeria 4-0 Uganda Afcon 1968

1973: Uganda 2- 1 Algeria Afcon 1974 Q

1973: Algeria 1 - 1 Uganda Afcon 1974 Q

1983: Uganda 4- 1 Algeria Olympic Q

1983: Algeria 3-0 Uganda Olympic Q

1994: Uganda 1 - 1 Algeria Afcon 1996 Q

1995: Algeria 1 - 1 Uganda Afcon 1996 Q

1998: Uganda 2- 1 Algeria Afcon 2000 Q

1999: Algeria 2-0 Uganda Afcon 2000 Q

2002: Algeria 1 - 1 Uganda Friendly

2003: Uganda 0- 1 Algeria Friendly

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