With just a week to the first leg of the all-important Championship of African Nations (CHAN) qualifier against Sudan, Cranes coach Micho Sredojević will have the task of choosing the right central defense pairing. The Serb already has seven central defenders in camp to consider for duty.
Ayub Kizza, Hassan Wasswa Dazo, Timothy Awanyi, Henry Katongole, Ibrahim Kiyemba, Bernard Muwanga and Shafiq Bakaki are the options that Micho will look at for the October 17 clash and seven days later in Khartoum.
With the exception of Vipers’ Bakaki, the others are yet to test international duty although Kiyemba has been part of the U23 side that participated in the Olympics and All Africa Games qualifiers.
The 2015/16 season also doesn’t offer any hope, in their respective clubs all the seven defenders have conceded a total of 34 goals after seven rounds of matches played, an average of four goals per game.
Wasswa Dazo and Awanyi have been KCCA’s first choice central defenders this season and have conceded a total of four goals.
Bakaki has played four games for Vipers out of the five and the team has conceded only twice while he is on the field.
Lweza has conceded 13, and three of those have come in the last three matches Kiyemba has featured in.
Kantongole and his SC Villa side have let in five just like Kizza at Express, Muwanga and his Bright Stars team have only given away three goals.
But all that will count less, as Micho ponders on the pair that will try to keep Sudan at bay over two legs.
In the Tuesday training session, Micho paired Kizza and Wasswa Dazo on one side; he had Awanyi and Katongole on the other, both pairs can’t be overlooked as the obvious first choice options especially the former.
Kizza the oldest of all the seven and arguably the calmest he can play alongside any of the other six defenders.
For a team that has struggled to command stability at the back even in matches they have been able to register wins, Cranes will need Kiiza calmness against Sudan.
As Micho hopes to deliver the Cranes to a third straight CHAN in Rwanda next year, his choice in central defense will make or break that dream.
