Uganda Cranes
Not so long ago, a player featuring for the Uganda national team would be revered by the community.
A Cranes player would not walk through Kampala without being noticed. He would even be showered with gifts. Cranes players were local heroes who were deeply connected to their supporters and used to receive tremendous adoration. The last of this breed included Majid Musisi, Jackson Mayanja and Ron Vubya, among others.
Today, you can hardly recognize a national team player and the love the fans used to have for them has greatly waned. Recently, following Uganda’s loss to Algeria in an Afcon qualifier, the team covertly returned home from Cameroon hiding like criminals.
One may wonder why the shift in fortunes in a technologically advanced era that would have catapulted players into household names. Many people attribute the lack of enthusiasm to the high turnover of players on the national team and poor results on the pitch.
To me, this is just a symptom of a bigger malaise at Fufa. For instance, it’s true the team has struggled to achieve significant results in recent years. However, it is not this lack of consistency that has eroded the fans’ faith because even in the eighties and nineties when local football was at its all-time high, The Cranes did not qualify for Afcon.
What’s more, people often cite the rise in popularity of European football and other forms of entertainment for playing a role in diverting fans’ attention away from The Cranes.
If that were the case, why does rugby have a full house every weekend for their matches? Even the She Cranes, a highly maligned team in terms of funding, has many Ugandans rooting for it in its engagements. In fact, Mary Nuba and Peace Proscovia command bigger international profiles and following than any of the current Cranes players.
To me, it all comes down to the overall management and administration of football. Issues such as corruption and inadequate player development programmes are hampering the image of The Cranes.
The fans are resigned to the fate of expecting little from the team. Watching the Algeria game, you could say even the players knew they were accountable to themselves, not fans.
You will realize that those factors have not only affected the quality of players being produced for the national team but have also impacted the level of professionalism within the national team setup. Players who don’t kick a ball at their clubs are always the first on the team sheet.
That’s why I am one of those who don’t blame Cranes coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic for the team’s poor performances because his hands are tied on whom to summon.
The fans’ perception of the Cranes, tarnished by these issues, has had a trickle-down effect on domestic football by contributing to its decline in support and passion.
It is for that reason that we need a think-tank that can come up with a strategic plan and investment in youth development programmes on top of facilitating transparent and accountable governance at Fufa.
The author is SC Villa president emeritus
Source: The Observer
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