OBUA COMPLETES MOVE TO HEARTS
Jul 20, 2008
DAVID Obua believes Scottish side Hearts will reap the benefits of his<br>development as a footballer since working with the club’s current boss Csaba Laszlo.
BY FRED KAWEESI
DAVID Obua believes Scottish side Hearts will reap the benefits of his
development as a footballer since working with the club’s current boss Csaba Laszlo.
The Uganda Cranes star finally completed a fouryear- contract dream career move to the Edinburgh-based club on Friday night subject to final medical tests and the issue of a work permit.
“It was a good deal for me and the only thing left for me is to perform.
Working with Csaba has of course made me a better player and hopefully the club will benefit from
that,†he said.
Obua is currently in Germany with the Hearts team for a ten-day pre-season tour.
He will bond with the rest of the team during the club’s first session this morning before making his first appearance in the first friendly against Rheingau Select on Wednesday. His second appearance will come against Kaiserslautern in Marburg on Friday before engaging SV Wiesbaden on July 29.
The former Kaizer Chiefs winger will reside in a hotel for the moment
before occupying a fullyfurnished
luxury apartment provided by the club.
Obua’s arrival at Hearts re-initiates a marriage of sorts that Laszlo and the Cranes star took pleasure
in since the Hungarian assumed the Cranes coaching seat in 2006.
Aside from hailing Obua as arguably the best leftfooted midfielder he has ever worked with, Csaba stuck with an unfit Obua in the decisive 2008
Nations Cup qualifier against Niger in September last year. He defied the odds and fielded the lanky midfielder in that fateful match despite Obua making the fixture
without playing a single game in over three months due to injury.
“I know what he can do and what he can’t do,†Laszlo stated then.
However, despite the pair’s relationship, Obua is under no illusions about the new fight to
claim a first team place.
Obua becomes the latest Ugandan to turn out for a top European club after Ibrahim Sekagya (Austria), Mike Sserumaga, Abubaker Tabula (both Sweden), Nestroy Kizito, Eugene Sepuya (both Serbia)
Noah Kasule (Armenia), Andrew
Mwesigwa, Augustine Nsumba (both Iceland), the late Majid Musisi
(France) and Livingstone
Mbabazi (Ireland).
Obua has turned out for Ugandan sides Police and Express FC, and had a three-year spell in the
USA. He later joined Mauritian club AS Port-Louis 2000 before his
transfer to South African
side Kaizer Chiefs.
Obua’s move is predicted to offer a breakthrough for several other Ugandan players. Hassan Wasswa is reported to be Csaba’s
other target.
In a related development, Jackson Mayanja could also move to the club this week.
Mayanja, who worked under Csaba with the Ugandan national team, confirmed that negotiations
were ongoing “I have talked to Laszlo about it. I got several
phone calls from Hearts officials yesterday but I am not allowed to comment further.â€
DAVID Obua believes Scottish side Hearts will reap the benefits of his
development as a footballer since working with the club’s current boss Csaba Laszlo.
The Uganda Cranes star finally completed a fouryear- contract dream career move to the Edinburgh-based club on Friday night subject to final medical tests and the issue of a work permit.
“It was a good deal for me and the only thing left for me is to perform.
Working with Csaba has of course made me a better player and hopefully the club will benefit from
that,†he said.
Obua is currently in Germany with the Hearts team for a ten-day pre-season tour.
He will bond with the rest of the team during the club’s first session this morning before making his first appearance in the first friendly against Rheingau Select on Wednesday. His second appearance will come against Kaiserslautern in Marburg on Friday before engaging SV Wiesbaden on July 29.
The former Kaizer Chiefs winger will reside in a hotel for the moment
before occupying a fullyfurnished
luxury apartment provided by the club.
Obua’s arrival at Hearts re-initiates a marriage of sorts that Laszlo and the Cranes star took pleasure
in since the Hungarian assumed the Cranes coaching seat in 2006.
Aside from hailing Obua as arguably the best leftfooted midfielder he has ever worked with, Csaba stuck with an unfit Obua in the decisive 2008
Nations Cup qualifier against Niger in September last year. He defied the odds and fielded the lanky midfielder in that fateful match despite Obua making the fixture
without playing a single game in over three months due to injury.
“I know what he can do and what he can’t do,†Laszlo stated then.
However, despite the pair’s relationship, Obua is under no illusions about the new fight to
claim a first team place.
Obua becomes the latest Ugandan to turn out for a top European club after Ibrahim Sekagya (Austria), Mike Sserumaga, Abubaker Tabula (both Sweden), Nestroy Kizito, Eugene Sepuya (both Serbia)
Noah Kasule (Armenia), Andrew
Mwesigwa, Augustine Nsumba (both Iceland), the late Majid Musisi
(France) and Livingstone
Mbabazi (Ireland).
Obua has turned out for Ugandan sides Police and Express FC, and had a three-year spell in the
USA. He later joined Mauritian club AS Port-Louis 2000 before his
transfer to South African
side Kaizer Chiefs.
Obua’s move is predicted to offer a breakthrough for several other Ugandan players. Hassan Wasswa is reported to be Csaba’s
other target.
In a related development, Jackson Mayanja could also move to the club this week.
Mayanja, who worked under Csaba with the Ugandan national team, confirmed that negotiations
were ongoing “I have talked to Laszlo about it. I got several
phone calls from Hearts officials yesterday but I am not allowed to comment further.â€