If David Obua does not play, what next?
Oct 05, 2010
AS has become custom, Cranes find themselves in a position of uncertainity as to whether David Obua will be available for national duty.
By Fred Kaweesi
AS has become custom, Cranes find themselves in a position of uncertainity as to whether David Obua will be available for national duty.
For the upteenth time, Cranes coaching staff will have to wait until the last hour before ascertaining whether the Hearts midfielder will be fielded –this time against Kenya’s Harambee Stars.
Aside from the must-win fixtures against Lesotho (2008 qualifiers), Niger (2010) and Angola (2012), this success-starved nation had to wait and will continue to wait in the build-up to this Saturday’s fixture courtesy of the lanky midfielder’s groin injury troubles.
Obua had a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan on his troublesome groin on Monday and with the results not out by press time yesterday, it meant coach Bobby Williamson and the entire country had to continue praying that it does not reveal serious damage.
Of course, Obua is one of the most creative and influential players in the Cranes team and has matured into a star with outstanding ability.
But his absence (hopefully it isn’t the case) will not mean the end of the world.
With him available, Williamson will have more than one option at hand and that is — presence and creativity.
However on the evidence of the team’s workouts yesterday, even if he failed to make it, the above roles could still be split between Eugene Ssepuuya and livewire Vincent Kayizzi.
Ssepuuya ready
The Australia-based striker finally joined the team yesterday. If passed fit, he will guarantee the team presence upfront. “I will give my all because that game will be life and death for us,†Ssepuuya said earlier.
Livewire Kayizzi praises Ezra bonuses
That brings in the creative conundrum. If Cranes are to stand a more decent chance of stunning Kenya, Kayizzi will have to replicate the sort of performance he exhibited in the 3-0 win over Angola — the sort of artistry that set-up two of Cranes goals through Obua and Geoffrey Sserunkuuma. “I feel fresh and ready. I just want to go out there and do what I can,†Kayizzi pointed yesterday.
It’s easy to get carried away about a player you see having two or three cracking games in training but when you work the channels like Kayizzi does, making it hard for defenders to pick him up, it’s extremely hard to ignore.
The Cranes will share out $50,000 (Shs114m) courtesy of businessman Mike Ezra if they beat Kenya at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi.
AS has become custom, Cranes find themselves in a position of uncertainity as to whether David Obua will be available for national duty.
For the upteenth time, Cranes coaching staff will have to wait until the last hour before ascertaining whether the Hearts midfielder will be fielded –this time against Kenya’s Harambee Stars.
Aside from the must-win fixtures against Lesotho (2008 qualifiers), Niger (2010) and Angola (2012), this success-starved nation had to wait and will continue to wait in the build-up to this Saturday’s fixture courtesy of the lanky midfielder’s groin injury troubles.
Obua had a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan on his troublesome groin on Monday and with the results not out by press time yesterday, it meant coach Bobby Williamson and the entire country had to continue praying that it does not reveal serious damage.
Of course, Obua is one of the most creative and influential players in the Cranes team and has matured into a star with outstanding ability.
But his absence (hopefully it isn’t the case) will not mean the end of the world.
With him available, Williamson will have more than one option at hand and that is — presence and creativity.
However on the evidence of the team’s workouts yesterday, even if he failed to make it, the above roles could still be split between Eugene Ssepuuya and livewire Vincent Kayizzi.
Ssepuuya ready
The Australia-based striker finally joined the team yesterday. If passed fit, he will guarantee the team presence upfront. “I will give my all because that game will be life and death for us,†Ssepuuya said earlier.
Livewire Kayizzi praises Ezra bonuses
That brings in the creative conundrum. If Cranes are to stand a more decent chance of stunning Kenya, Kayizzi will have to replicate the sort of performance he exhibited in the 3-0 win over Angola — the sort of artistry that set-up two of Cranes goals through Obua and Geoffrey Sserunkuuma. “I feel fresh and ready. I just want to go out there and do what I can,†Kayizzi pointed yesterday.
It’s easy to get carried away about a player you see having two or three cracking games in training but when you work the channels like Kayizzi does, making it hard for defenders to pick him up, it’s extremely hard to ignore.
The Cranes will share out $50,000 (Shs114m) courtesy of businessman Mike Ezra if they beat Kenya at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi.