The other Cranes awaiting their turn in increasingly packed national team

Knocking on the door. Mustafa Kizza.

What you need to know:

  • Patrick Kaddu’s celebration dance has been missing on the menu.
  • Mustafa Kizza is knocking on the door and the Cranes are no longer short of talents to summon.

Uganda Cranes’ coach Johnny McKinstry got vindication for some of his selections on Thursday afternoon after his side edged visitors South Sudan 1-0 on Match Day Three of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) Qualifiers.

The Northern Irishman had the last laugh at St Mary’s Stadium in Kitende when substitute defender Halid Lwaliwa headed home Farouk Miya’s free-kick four minutes from the full-time whistle.

However, the debate about the call-ups to national teams hardly cease across the globe, especially during a Fifa international window like this one.

A bulk of players are not in the Cranes’ camp that is destined for a return leg against the team from Juba in Kenyan capital Nairobi on Monday.

And several fans will ponder why forward Patrick Kaddu, midfielder Taddeo Lwanga or Isaac Muleme were not called up this time?

SCORE’s findings show that most of the missing names have been devoid of stability at club level and that notwithstanding the disruptive coronavirus pandemic.
So who could have been in McKinstry’s team and isn’t at the moment?

Goalkeepers
Robert Odongkara has dropped to number four behind KCCA’s Charles Lukwago in the pecking order due to lack of enough playing time at Guinean club Horoya AC.
That is contrary to the way things were when the Kitgum-born Odongkara was number one at Ethiopia’s Saint-George from 2011-2018. 

Lost place. Goalkeeper Robert Odongkara.



Competitively, Odongkara’s last time in Cranes’ goal was during the last 18 minutes of the encounter against hosts Egypt during the Afcon finals last year.

Defenders
Bevis Mugabi is out of action because he suffered a dislocated shoulder in training at Motherwell FC in Scotland last month.
Had Mugabi been available, it would have been a tall order for Lwaliwa to feature.

Murushid Jjuuko, who has been set back by change of clubs from North Africa to Express, didn’t make the final squad because of lack of fitness.

Lack of match time. Murushid Juuko.

Similarly, Hassan Wasswa has not settled since leaving Saudi Arabian club Jeddah last year. 
Wasswa made the bench for the previous home Afcon qualifier against Malawi at Namboole last November but he has descended fast down the Cranes’ centre-back ranks.

It implies that times have drastically changed in the Cranes’ fold from the days when players unattached like Wasswa got some minutes in competitive duels for the country.

Also, this Fifa window appeared to have come early for left-back Isaac Muleme, who is just beginning to fit in on loan at Nitra in Slovakia having lost time at parent time Viktoria Žižkov of Czech Republic.

Furthermore, sources in the Cranes’ camp indicate that Joseph Ochaya and Alex Kakuba, who later got injured, had since preferred ahead of Muleme.
 

Midfielders
When Taddeo Lwanga settled nerves during the second half of the match against Zimbabwe at the Afcon finals in Egypt last year, there was a feeling that he had sealed a place in the Cranes’ set-up. But he recently terminated his contract with Egyptian club FC Tanta and has not been active.

No game. Tadeo Lwanga.

This paper further understands that Moses Waiswa has not yet played enough matches at South African club SuperSport United to earn a ticket to McKinstry’s fold.

Nicholas Kasozi who made the bench against Malawi has since changed clubs from KCCA to Kyetume, taken a while without playing and he is reportedly not psychologically settled.

Egyptian club El Gouna player Allan Kyambadde suffered an injury in the build-up to the South Sudan double while Allan Kateregga made the camp in Dubai, UAE last month but the Iraq-based player reportedly did not impress the coaches .

Also, exciting winger Abdul Lumala has just recovered from a troublesome knee injury. The voids have since been filled up by youngsters in Allan Okello and Karim Watambala.

Forwards
UK-based Jayden Onen’s bow in the Cranes’ jersey has been delayed by paper work. Onen, born to a Ugandan father but he holds a British passport.

Patrick Henry Kaddu has struggled to settle since leaving KCCA for North Africa last year. 
Kaddu is now reported to have parted ways with Egyptian club Ismaily SC almost seven months after a $150000 (Shs555m) move from Morocco’s RS Berkane.

Then, Swedish-based Alexis Bbakka withdrew late from the squad because of injury. Also, Yunus Ssentamu has taken almost two years without playing at a competitive level for over a year and he is unattached. 

Cranes missing squad

Goalkeeper 
Robert Odongkara (Horoya, Guinea)
Defenders
Bevis Mugabi (Motherwell, Scotland)
Murushid Jjuuko (Expres)
Hassan Wasswa (Unattached)
Isaac Muleme (Nitra [loan], Slovakia)
Mustafa Kizza (Montreal Impact, US)
Midfielders 
Taddeo Lwanga (Tanta, Egypt)
Nicholas Kasozi (Kyetume)
Allan Kyambadde (El Gouna, Egypt)
Allan Kateregga (Erbil SC, Iraq)

Moses Waiswa (SuperSport Utd, SA)


Back but not ready. Waiswa.


Forwards
Jayden Onen (Reading)
Patrick Kaddu (Unattached)
Alexis Bbakka (Umeå FC, Sweden)
Abdu Lumala (Pyramids, Egypt), Yunus Ssentamu (Unattached)

Uganda's forward Patrick Kaddu reacts during an AFCON match against Congo. PHOTO/COURTESY 


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