Will Micho to make a U-turn on Wasswa?

By Fred Kaweesi

A lack of career guidance continues to undermine the progress of Ugandan footballers.

Just weeks after guiding Cranes to the 2014 Africa Nations Championships (CHAN), players Tony Odur, Hassan Wasswa and Frank Kalanda jumped ship and opted to travel to Vietnam in pursuit for lucrative deals.

However a couple of months down the road, the trio have discovered that football in Vietnam is ‘not a bed of roses’ and are now chasing for a return to the domestic league with hope of making the trip to South Africa.

“Odur is already in the country hoping to re-join KCCA. Wasswa is willing to resolve his misunderstandings with KCCA while Kalanda is preparing to return as well,” a source close to the three players told Saturday Vision yesterday.

The Chan tournament that starts on January 11 is designed exclusively for players in domestic leagues, which means Odur, Wasswa and Kalanda must be affiliated to one of the domestic clubs to be legible for Chan.

Emmanuel Okwi and Godfrey Walusimbi were not ineligible because the duo had not been involved in the Chan qualifiers.

Should Cranes coach Micho Sredejovic pardon the three? Wouldn’t their belated inclusion set a bad precedent? Wouldn’t their consideration affect the preparations of the team? Are the three players fit anyway? The Cranes, who are currently undergoing residential training, plan to travel to South Africa next week. 

So how would Micho work around this? 

When the Serb was contacted on the latest developments, he said: “I do not have full details on this but I will let you know on the way forward as soon as I get in touch with the three players and consult with the authorities.”

In South Africa, Cranes will battle Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso and Morocco in a tricky Group C.

Nicholas Wadada is still struggling with blisters on his foot.