A few days ago, I had a chat with colleagues and the topic of discussion zeroed around Ugandans failure to aim for the highest opportunities even when they appear attainable. One of them told us that it’s all due to the way most Ugandans take success to be citing that many are content with earning peanuts as long they satisfy their needs while others are short sighted implying that all they look at is now and not the future.
To crown it all, one told us that we had no moral authority to discuss the topic since mediocrity has pretty much become a way of life in Uganda.
After witnessing 90% of Ugandan football exports between 2009 and now returning to ply their trade home or in far mediocre leagues in the region, I recalled all we had discussed then.
Ibrahim Saddam Juma, Owen Kasule, Moses Ndaula, Noah Ssemakula (Vietnam), Brian Umony (South Africa, US, Vietnam), Yuda Mugalu (Dr Congo), Patrick Ochan (Tanzania, Dr Congo), Mike Mutyaba (Sudan, Dr Congo), Steven Bengo (Tanzania), Benjamin Ochan (South Africa), Simon Sserunkuma (Canada), Hassan Wasswa (Turkey) and Mike Sserumaga (Sweden, Ethiopia, Rwanda) are just some of the players whose semi/professional stints ended prematurely. Add Godfrey Walusimbi and Emma Okwi to the equation and you have a decent squad of returnees whose good years are ahead of them.
Walusimbi and Okwi’s cases leave more questions than answers since they just absconded from duty without permission.
Walusimbi last tested club football in March as he refused to return to his Congo based club CS Don Bosco when summoned for national duty against Liberia on March 24 insisting the conditions were un conducive at the club. By doing this, the Cranes left back breached his contract after serving just less than six months on a contract believed to be two years.
Okwi also left Tunisia club Etoile Du Sahel in almost similar fashion as the striker swore never to return to Tunis alleging that the club didn’t adhere to fulfill his contractual obligations. He has since stood by his word and still in Kampala since June. His club denies those allegations and has since taken the matter to FIFA.
Interestingly, both players are ready to quit their clubs with reports that they have signed short term contracts at SC Villa (FSL faction).
The question that most observers ask remains, why do Ugandan footballers fail abroad?
Daily Monitor’s Sports columnist Robert Madoi believes it’s all down to targets and nothing more. “Our footballers have been groomed to blissfully embrace second best. Never at one point can they push the envelope in a bid to break their boundaries. If the sport puts food on their plates and drapes them in fancy clothes, then that’s pretty much it”, he says.
“An age-old dictum counsels us to aim for the moon such that we can get the stars if we fail with the maiden endeavour. Conversely, Ugandan footballers aim for the stars in the knowledge that they will kiss the dust if they pull up short,” Madoi adds.
Ex-Cranes Coach Mike Mutebi is not surprised by the rate at which players fail stints abroad simply because he thinks Ugandan players are not competitive.
“In football, talent means nothing without hard work and competition and our players are short of that,” states Mutebi.
“After playing one or two good games and they get praised by the media, they develop wings and forget that the praises simply mean nothing if there is no consistence. But you can only be consistent if you work hard in training yet they hate to train”, Mutebi adds.
The Observer’s John Vianney Nsimbe; one of the most respected local football writers cites a number of factors that lead to this and points out to mediocrity and inferiority complex
“Ugandan footballers are content playing in the lower reaches.” “Another important factor is our players have inferiority complex”, Nsimbe cites Okwi’s example in this case recalling how the forward got sick and failed to attend trials at Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg despite flying to Vienna. The same player also hid when opportunities to join South Africa’s Kaizer Chiefs and Italian side Parma arose and only appeared when they dead.
Ex-Cranes and Express FC left fullback Peter Lwebuga believes it’s all down to the poor coaching technical staff employed by our clubs to groom these players
“A critical look at most of our tacticians in the topflight clubs says it all. A big chunk of them are just not good enough to streamline these players’ careers and thus end up finding strange things out there which they fail to withstand thus ending up home,” Lwebuga argues.
Nevertheless, it can’t be said of the entire group as some have succeeded. Magid Musisi (RIP) Ibrahim Ssekagya, David Obua, Denis Onyango, Nestroy Kizito, Posnet Omwony, Timothy Batabaire are prime examples.
To crown it all, Ugandan players are content with settling for less and not the best.
What do you think?
