Micho decries Cranes' misfortune

Dec 11, 2013

CRANES coach Micho Sredojevic has revealed that Uganda’s failure to qualify for major tournaments continues to bother him

By Swalley Kenyi

CRANES coach Micho Sredojevic has revealed that Uganda’s failure to qualify for major tournaments continues to bother him.

Micho, who took up the job in May, disclosed his frustration while addressing a joint press conference with FUFA president Moses Magogo on Wednesday.

He noted that it was disturbing that Uganda which exports the biggest number of professional footballers in the CECAFA region has repeatedly failed to qualify for Africa Nations and World Cup finals for decades.

“Uganda exports the biggest number of players to join professional ranks in the region (and yet we cannot reach the finals Africa Cup and World Cup). We (Uganda) need to work on competitions. We compete with the best teams in Africa and the world so we need to compete week in week out like our opponents,” Micho said.

Micho was responding to questions as to why Uganda which is considered a regional soccer power house had been eliminated from the 2013 CECAFA Cup at the quarterfinal stage.

Magogo noted that his administration was addressing Uganda’s absence at the big stage from a management point of view and that he did not mind annoying the football fraternity as long as his approach to achieve as the federation president in long run is on the right track.

Magogo was responding to criticism directed at the federation and Micho following the Cranes’ failure at the Senior Challenge Cup in Kenya.

“CECAFA and CHAN are development competitions and not an end in itself. Our objectives in CECAFA and CHAN are to add miles to the legs of many players and widen the pool (of players). It is not winning the respective competitions,” Magogo explained.

“This will make us step on toes of people but I will be proud at the end,” Magogo added.

Prior to CECAFA Micho vowed that he and the team would do all it required to win the regional championship to boost his players’ morale for CHAN.

At the press conference Micho appealed to FUFA to have the Cranes teams play regular international friendly matches as a way of getting the team fully prepared for the Africa Nations Championship finals due next month and Africa Nations Cup qualifiers later next year.

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