FUFA remains disorganised!
Dec 15, 2002
After Cranes beat Ghana in September one of FUFA President Dennis Obua’s lieutenants told national coach Paul Hasule to continue masterminding such wins so that federation officials could go on fattening their stomachs
I Say So
By James Bakama
After Cranes beat Ghana in September one of FUFA President Dennis Obua’s lieutenants told national coach Paul Hasule to continue masterminding such wins so that federation officials could go on fattening their stomachs.
The lieutenant was referring to fruits of victory like the sh89m gate collection, which they were hungrily awaiting. You can guess what is more important to FUFA between Nations Cup qualification and gate collection.
Is it thus a surprise that to date, Cranes have never been given a bonus for beating the favourites Ghana? Need I also ask what the morale will be like when we play our next qualifier?
The September case is just one in a multitude of cases of national team players being exploited like slaves.
The just concluded CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup was another ordeal.
Cranes were like paupers amidst well-facilitated teams, and the fact that they could reach the semi-finals tells a lot about their potential.
Some members of the team were given as little as sh50, 000 to live home for the two weeks stay in Tanzania. They were then directed to go for the title with $10 per day foreign allowance, a big portion of which was left at home by most players because of the limited home upkeep.
A penniless Cranes unable to afford basics like sodas was the result.
They enviously eyed counterparts from even countries like Somalia, which does not have a government, shopping loads of goodies.
Remember that Christmas is around the corner but our team will leave Tanzania minus even the cheapest souvenir.
Then there were also fears of being stranded in Tanzania due to lack of funds. An earlier ordeal had the team spending a night in the wilderness in Kenya.
Cranes’ leader of delegation Chris Kalibala lacked a contingency fund to get alternative transport for the team after their bus breaking down.
What if this had been in one of Kenya’s national parks? It all reminds me of a Swahili saying “Asanti ya punda ni teke†(A donkey’s way of saying thank you to its master is a kick).
It is the reverse in the Cranes.
jbakama@newvision.co.ug
By James Bakama
After Cranes beat Ghana in September one of FUFA President Dennis Obua’s lieutenants told national coach Paul Hasule to continue masterminding such wins so that federation officials could go on fattening their stomachs.
The lieutenant was referring to fruits of victory like the sh89m gate collection, which they were hungrily awaiting. You can guess what is more important to FUFA between Nations Cup qualification and gate collection.
Is it thus a surprise that to date, Cranes have never been given a bonus for beating the favourites Ghana? Need I also ask what the morale will be like when we play our next qualifier?
The September case is just one in a multitude of cases of national team players being exploited like slaves.
The just concluded CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup was another ordeal.
Cranes were like paupers amidst well-facilitated teams, and the fact that they could reach the semi-finals tells a lot about their potential.
Some members of the team were given as little as sh50, 000 to live home for the two weeks stay in Tanzania. They were then directed to go for the title with $10 per day foreign allowance, a big portion of which was left at home by most players because of the limited home upkeep.
A penniless Cranes unable to afford basics like sodas was the result.
They enviously eyed counterparts from even countries like Somalia, which does not have a government, shopping loads of goodies.
Remember that Christmas is around the corner but our team will leave Tanzania minus even the cheapest souvenir.
Then there were also fears of being stranded in Tanzania due to lack of funds. An earlier ordeal had the team spending a night in the wilderness in Kenya.
Cranes’ leader of delegation Chris Kalibala lacked a contingency fund to get alternative transport for the team after their bus breaking down.
What if this had been in one of Kenya’s national parks? It all reminds me of a Swahili saying “Asanti ya punda ni teke†(A donkey’s way of saying thank you to its master is a kick).
It is the reverse in the Cranes.
jbakama@newvision.co.ug