Cranes' Csaba applies for Cameroon job

By Fred kaweesi
and Reuters

Nations Cup qualifier
Sept 8
Uganda v Niger

Selected South African
Premier League opening day fixtures
Today 8pm
Benoni v Chiefs SS6
Leopards v SuperSport
Celtic v Ajax
Cosmos v Wits Univ.

UGANDA soccer coach Laszlo Csaba is a candidate to take over the top coaching job of the Cameroon national team. After advertising for a new national coach on its website, the Cameroon Football Federation posted the names of 78 candidates it says have applied.

The list names applicants from 22 countries and could prove embarrassing for coaches already in charge of national teams or prominent clubs.

Csaba, who has steered Uganda to the brink of Nations Cup qualification for the first time in three decades, confirmed that his application was submitted three months ago by his agent Antonio Carlo. He however insisted he would see Cranes through their last Nations Cup qualifier against Niger — and to Ghana 2008, if they qualify.

“My plans are about doing everything possible to help Uganda qualify,” he stated yesterday, adding, “I can assure Ugandans that I will be with the Cranes.”

Csaba, who regroups his charges on Friday to start preparing for the must-win qualifier next month, also added that the Cameroonians would first have to buy out his four-year contract with FUFA that runs until 2010.

“It would be unfaithful of me to abandon a team I have taken this far. I will do all I can to ensure Uganda gets to Ghana and if we fail, which I don’t want to believe will happen, then we will see what happens next.”

Hungarian-born German Csaba joined Cranes in July last year. He led Cranes to victories over Lesotho and Nigeria, draws away to Niger and Lesotho and one defeat to Nigeria in Abeokuta.

Also on the Cameroon list is Eritrea’s Romanian coach Dorian Marian.
It includes 69-year-old German Otto Pfister, who took Togo to the last World Cup finals and is currently coach of Al Merreikh.

Former coach Artur Jorge, who quit after Cameroon’s quarter-final exit at the last Nations Cup finals in Egypt 18 months ago, is also back in the frame, along with current caretaker boss Jules Nyongha.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) women’s soccer team has reinforced Cranes’ prospects of netting many goals against Niger with an offer of 20 original Nike footballs.

Csaba received the FIFA-approved sponsored balls from Dave McPherson, managing director of The Children of the Nile yesterday. Csaba immediately declared: “With these, the goals will come.”

The Children of the Nile is a non-government health organization based in the north that intends to revamp women’s football in the country with the help of the Colorado-based ladies team.

“We have not been using original balls before but these have the right fibre that I have always wanted. It’s easier to pass, control and shoot in the direction you want it and that’s what we will need against Niger,” Csaba said.

Cranes will have to score no less than three goals against Niger on September 8 and hope that results involving Togo, Mali, Zambia, Algeria, Tanzania, Senegal, Eritrea and Namibia, top candidates for the coveted two places, go their way.

Sudan already claimed one of three availbale places for the best runners-up.

Hundreds of Ugandans have submitted entries into the ‘Win sh 5m’ MTN Cranes Cheer Song competition, which closed on Friday. Over 536 compositions have been received from the public.

The winning writer of a cheer song for the MTN- sponsored national soccer team Cranes, will take home sh5million on Friday.

South Africa’s Premier League kicks-off today with several Ugandans expected to feature. Goalkeeper Posnet Omwony and defender Timothy Batabaire are in Bloemfontein Celtic, winger David Obua is at Kaizer Chiefs, striker Geoffrey Sserunkuma and Hassan Wasswa are at Benoni while striker Geoffrey Massa is at Jomo Cosmos.