Teamwork is the key
Jul 16, 2006
WILL the Ghana 2008 Nations Cup qualifiers be yet another futile outing for the Cranes? That’s the mind-boggling question many Ugandans face.
I SAY SO - James Bakama
WILL the Ghana 2008 Nations Cup qualifiers be yet another futile outing for the Cranes? That’s the mind-boggling question many Ugandans face.
What could make Ugandans hopeful though is the fact that the soccer governing body is this time headed by a man (Lawrence Mulindwa) who has boldly set qualification as the key point on which he should be judged.
Mulindwa has in his quest for success so far fulfilled his promise of signing a foreign coach.
Going by what we have so far observed of Laszlo Csaba, the Cranes finally have a professional foreign coach.
Unlike his predecessor Muhamad Abbas, whose credentials were questionable, Csaba, who former star Jackson Mayanja described as a’ true professional’, is already laying strategies for Ghana 2008.
What Ugandans should however realise is that qualification is a task that will take more than Csaba and Mulindwa’s efforts
Government, sponsors, schools, clubs, the players and the local authorities will all have to first embrace a common vision of development if positive results are to be realised.
Government’s promise of catering for the German’s salary is therefore a boost. Harrison Okagbue and Abbas showed that our soccer federation can’t solely afford a foreign coach.
As for the importance of club support, I hope you still remember Uganda’s 1991 qualification saga.
SC Villa, which formed the bulk of the Cranes, boycotted some of the qualification matches consequently denying Uganda a place in the Senegal ‘92 finals.
Player welfare should also be addressed. It doesn’t pay to have a well paid coach in charge of players who are not sure of their next meal.
It’s also time our foreign-based players became worthy idols.
Much as we are supposed to massage their egos, the players are also expected to not only deliver on the field, but also show some patriotism.
Such loyalty didn’t recently seem to matter to Ibrahim Sekagya and David Obua when the duo refused to attend the Cranes’ launch of the qualification campaign.
Everyone’s prayer is that these stars would have grown up by the time we start the qualifiers in September.
We just can’t afford to bungle yet another qualification campaign because of such pettiness.
jbakama@newvision.co.ug
WILL the Ghana 2008 Nations Cup qualifiers be yet another futile outing for the Cranes? That’s the mind-boggling question many Ugandans face.
What could make Ugandans hopeful though is the fact that the soccer governing body is this time headed by a man (Lawrence Mulindwa) who has boldly set qualification as the key point on which he should be judged.
Mulindwa has in his quest for success so far fulfilled his promise of signing a foreign coach.
Going by what we have so far observed of Laszlo Csaba, the Cranes finally have a professional foreign coach.
Unlike his predecessor Muhamad Abbas, whose credentials were questionable, Csaba, who former star Jackson Mayanja described as a’ true professional’, is already laying strategies for Ghana 2008.
What Ugandans should however realise is that qualification is a task that will take more than Csaba and Mulindwa’s efforts
Government, sponsors, schools, clubs, the players and the local authorities will all have to first embrace a common vision of development if positive results are to be realised.
Government’s promise of catering for the German’s salary is therefore a boost. Harrison Okagbue and Abbas showed that our soccer federation can’t solely afford a foreign coach.
As for the importance of club support, I hope you still remember Uganda’s 1991 qualification saga.
SC Villa, which formed the bulk of the Cranes, boycotted some of the qualification matches consequently denying Uganda a place in the Senegal ‘92 finals.
Player welfare should also be addressed. It doesn’t pay to have a well paid coach in charge of players who are not sure of their next meal.
It’s also time our foreign-based players became worthy idols.
Much as we are supposed to massage their egos, the players are also expected to not only deliver on the field, but also show some patriotism.
Such loyalty didn’t recently seem to matter to Ibrahim Sekagya and David Obua when the duo refused to attend the Cranes’ launch of the qualification campaign.
Everyone’s prayer is that these stars would have grown up by the time we start the qualifiers in September.
We just can’t afford to bungle yet another qualification campaign because of such pettiness.
jbakama@newvision.co.ug