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Sports
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Written by John Vianney Nsimbe
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Wednesday, 25 November 2009 19:59 |
Cranes striker Geoffrey Massa was a handful for Maroon FC’s defence, scoring the national football team’s second goal as it registered a 2-0 win in a November 22 friendly game at Namboole stadium. A burning desire to retain the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup that he resoundingly won last year has seen national coach, Bobby Williamson call a pretty strong side that has veteran players like Egyptian-based Massa.
However, questions are being raised by several commentators as to whether The Cranes need to use established players in a tournament that should ideally be used to bud emerging talent.
Massa’s display on Sunday, regardless of the fact that it was against a first division side would send shivers down the spine of any team awaiting the defending champions. Compared to what Massa was at this time last year before the CECAFA, he has improved a lot in terms of pace, fitness, skill, form, dribbling, positional sense, evading markers, shooting and creativity. By all means he will be Williamson’s go-to man.
Said Maroons coach, Asaph Mwebaze: “I haven’t seen Massa play so well in a long time like he did against us. It was his brilliant game that actually exposed us although I thought we gave as good as we got. No doubt we stretched them.”
But Mwebaze was quick to add that he couldn’t help noticing that most of the players in The Cranes squad are the usual customers. “I don’t think professionals like Andy Mwesigwa, Massa, Tony Mawejje, Dan Wagaluka plus Villa’s Simon Masaba still have any business playing in the CECAFA. We’ve seen what they can do and are supposed to wait for Africa Cup or World Cup qualifiers.”
Former Cranes coach, Mike Mutebi concurs. He said: “There is still nothing to prove at the CECAFA. Instead, the FUFA technical committee should have asked itself what we need from this event. Winning should only be a bonus but not a priority. “This Championship can be used to bud the youngsters at under-20 and under-23 level into high level competition.
Testing regional opponents would enrich them with bags of experience, so that we’ve a pool of talent as buffer for the professionals who won’t play forever.”
It’s damning that teams like Malawi and Mozambique are going to be at the African Nations Cup while Uganda isn’t.
Early this year, Malawi lost 2-1 to The Cranes in a friendly game. Elsewhere, in February KCC beat Mozambique’s Ferroviario De Maputo in the African Champions League 3-2 on aggregate. Ferroviario contributes many players to Mozambique’s national team. That Malawi and Mozambique are ranked 90 and 84 respectively compared to Uganda that’s 77 according to Fifa world football rankings worsens matters.
Even Zambia, ranked 96, have used the CECAFA Cup to show-case their youngsters who won it in 2006. The Cranes should borrow a leaf and use the tournament to blood talents like Ivan Bukenya, Dennis Bagala, Sula Matovu and Ronnie Kisekka (Nalubaale), Dennis Guma, Asuman Alishe and Kipson Atuheirwe (Villa), Dan Sebuliba (Masaka), Jimmy Kakooza, Willy Kavuma, Sula Bagala, Tommy Okello and Joseph Ochaya (KCC), Boban Zirintusa and Kizito Luwaga (Bunamwaya) and Henry Kisekka and Manco Kaweesa (URA), Isaac Isinde and Ayub Kiiza (Victors).
Williamson’s experienced entourage opens its CECAFA Cup defence with a match against Tanzania on Sunday.
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