By this time two weeks ago, when I penned (or is it typed?) my last post, the Uganda Cranes were gearing for their first match of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers with lots optimism, if not assurance.
By the end of the day, they were three points to the good courtesy of a solitary goal from team captain Ibrahim Ssekajja against Niger. Like is always the case when the Cranes score, we sang our hearts out at Namboole, danced and waved our flags like crazy.
But the display was not ewe-inspiring. Deep in our hearts, we knew that the Cranes needed to greatly pull up their socks if they were to mount a challenge against Angola (who played at the 2006 World Cup) and Benin (who gave a good account of themselves at the 2008 African Nations Cup).
By some uncanny twist of fate, the Cranes opened their campaign facing the team they had played against in the last match of the 2008 Nations Cup qualifiers. Then, the game ended 3 – 0 in Uganda’s favour; this time round, it was Ssekajja’s solitary goal. Had Niger improved or was it the Cranes who had lost some of their firepower?
Benin, who the Cranes faced only a week after Niger, duly gave Ugandans an answer with a 4 – 1 annihilation of their national side – despite the latter having taken the lead through striker Eugene Sssepuya.
Several explanations (excuses?) have since been given for that loss – from the lame to the bizarre. Three key players were not available for selection, said the coach Lazslo Csaba. The conditions in Benin were the worst the team had ever endured in a long time, argued the stand-in team captain Timothy Batabaire. I heard thunder in the stadium as Benin’s army of witchdoctors/fans did their thing, claimed goalkeeper Dennis Onyango.
The fact is that the Cranes were beaten. The reality is that the Cranes have many issues to overcome if they are to overcome the barren spell of 30 years that the country has endured without seeing its team at the African Nations Cup (never mind the World Cup). But with our passion for football and for our country, the fans will never desert the Cranes.
So, as I go to Namboole tomorrow to watch our beloved Cranes against Angola, I know there will be thousands of other like-minded fans. We will go hoping for a win. But even if we lose, we will at least be proud that we represented our country – by cheering our boys on from the stands.
When the odds are stacked against as is the case in these qualifiers , all we ask of our boys is to fight to the final whistle so that we live Namboole with our heads held high that they are setting a foundation for a tradition that makes Namboole a footballing fortress and the Cranes a hard nut to crack.
By the end of the day, they were three points to the good courtesy of a solitary goal from team captain Ibrahim Ssekajja against Niger. Like is always the case when the Cranes score, we sang our hearts out at Namboole, danced and waved our flags like crazy.
But the display was not ewe-inspiring. Deep in our hearts, we knew that the Cranes needed to greatly pull up their socks if they were to mount a challenge against Angola (who played at the 2006 World Cup) and Benin (who gave a good account of themselves at the 2008 African Nations Cup).
By some uncanny twist of fate, the Cranes opened their campaign facing the team they had played against in the last match of the 2008 Nations Cup qualifiers. Then, the game ended 3 – 0 in Uganda’s favour; this time round, it was Ssekajja’s solitary goal. Had Niger improved or was it the Cranes who had lost some of their firepower?
Benin, who the Cranes faced only a week after Niger, duly gave Ugandans an answer with a 4 – 1 annihilation of their national side – despite the latter having taken the lead through striker Eugene Sssepuya.
Several explanations (excuses?) have since been given for that loss – from the lame to the bizarre. Three key players were not available for selection, said the coach Lazslo Csaba. The conditions in Benin were the worst the team had ever endured in a long time, argued the stand-in team captain Timothy Batabaire. I heard thunder in the stadium as Benin’s army of witchdoctors/fans did their thing, claimed goalkeeper Dennis Onyango.
The fact is that the Cranes were beaten. The reality is that the Cranes have many issues to overcome if they are to overcome the barren spell of 30 years that the country has endured without seeing its team at the African Nations Cup (never mind the World Cup). But with our passion for football and for our country, the fans will never desert the Cranes.
So, as I go to Namboole tomorrow to watch our beloved Cranes against Angola, I know there will be thousands of other like-minded fans. We will go hoping for a win. But even if we lose, we will at least be proud that we represented our country – by cheering our boys on from the stands.
When the odds are stacked against as is the case in these qualifiers , all we ask of our boys is to fight to the final whistle so that we live Namboole with our heads held high that they are setting a foundation for a tradition that makes Namboole a footballing fortress and the Cranes a hard nut to crack.
