Micho lauds Sserunkuma's brilliance

By Reuben Olita

UGANDA Cranes head coach Milutin ‘Micho’Sredojevic has lauded the brilliance depicted by Kenya league champions Gor Mahia’s striker Dan Sserunkuma in the GOtv CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup opener at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi on Friday.

Sserunkuma struck with only a minute to the final whistle from super sub Said Kyeune’s perfect reverse pass to earn the defending champions a brilliant start in the tournament with a 1-0 win over neighbours Rwanda.

Micho said Sserunkuma who made his debut in the regional tournament proved that he is no ordinary striker in the region with a sublime goal that killed the spirits of the fighting Amavubi Stars.

“I don’t regret drafting him into the national team. He has proved a point that the sky is the limit for him and he will certainly be the hope for the team after Emmanuel Okwi’s absence.”

“It was a very hard match that saw me field only three players who did duty for the team when they won the title in Kampala last year. But in football a win of any kind is the pride of any team,” he said. 

Micho who paraded a team against his former employers praised the Amavubi for their fighting spirit and for fielding an established team but the Cranes worked very hard to emerge victorious.

He said his focus was now on their next match against Eritrea on Monday which he hopes to win to book a ticket to the quarterfinals with one match to spare against Sudan which will be played on Thursday at Afraha Stadium in Nakuru.

His counterpart Eric Nshimiyana conceded defeat saying they tried their best to reverse previous mediocre performances against Uganda in the same tournament but lady luck failed to smile on them.

“We have the capacity in the midfield and defence but our only undoing was the lapses in the striking force which saw payers fumble with the ball when it mattered most,” he said, adding that they will plan how to tame Sudan in their next game.

Nshimiyana said the loss to Uganda was a big lesson to him that dominating the game without scoring goals was like committing an offense knowingly. 

“We need to sharpen our striking force on Monday when we take on Sudan.”

Cranes XI: Benjamin Ochan, Nicholas Wadada, Godfrey Walusimbi, Savio Kabugo, Richard Kasagga, Khalid Aucho, Hamisi Kiiza (Said Kyeune), Dan Sserunkuma, Joseph Mpande (Vincent Kayizi), Brian Majwega (Isaac Muleme)