On the eve of the New Year, Uganda Cranes Coach Mulitin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic released his final 23 man squad for the forthcoming Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) due in South Africa with a few surprises.
Right fullback Nicholas Wadada and SC Villa Captain Ayub Kisaliita were a few surprise exclusions from the squad with the former left out due to an injury suffered as a result of a Boda Boda accident while the former simply didn’t cut the grade according to Micho and his technical staff.
Nevertheless, it’s the inclusion of Hassan Wasswa; a player that has not played competitive football for months that caught my eye. Not that he is a bad player but his inclusion just indicates how we don’t learn from previous mistakes.
In March, Cranes Coach then Bobby Williamson named a squad to face Liberia in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers with players who had last played competitive football in September 2013. Geoffrey ‘Baba’ Kizito and Moses Oloya were inactive and club less then while others like Mike Mutyaba, Emmanuel Okwi, Abel Dhaira and Denis Onyango were not getting first team football at their respective clubs while Henry Kalungi and Andrew Mwesigwa had their seasons off then. And the result was a 2-0 defeat which cost the Scot his job.
Hassan Wasswa last had a competitive game in September when Cranes lost to Senegal 1-0 in the last group J qualifier in Marrakech, Morocco and has been involved in a transfer saga with KCC FC since then. Even before that game, he wasn’t a regular at KCC FC and that explains his poor show against The Lions of Teranga.
Besides, its reported that Wasswa was amongst a few players who threw a tantrum in demand for hefty bonuses while the Cranes were camped in Istanbul, Turkey prior to the Senegal clash.
Some sections of the media even went ahead and reported that it’s the reason Micho left out Wasswa for the friendlies against Egypt in October.
Micho defends his selection of Wasswa by insisting that his experience and leadership skills will help a team short of experience in South Africa.
“Look, on tactical view you need players like Wasswa in the squad. He has got experience as well as leadership skills both off and on pitch. Remember we are looking at grooming but also we need some experienced figures at a certain level to show those uncapped ones what to do,” Micho was quoted by The New Vision.
However, Daily Monitor soccer reporter and analyst Andrew Mwanguhya disagrees with Micho and says that players like Wasswa need to be reminded that the national team is not like a market where you walk in and out at will.
“I think players should be reminded that the national team is not a market where you walk in and out at will. Unfortunately the Cranes have embraced certain players, who have absconded from club football as if all is well,” Mwanguhya argues.
The Observer Media’s John Vianney Nsimbe has a few questions on the inclusion of Wasswa on the team questioning how a player who has not been actively involved in football for months can melt a place on the team.
“It’s a bit confusing since Hassan Wasswa has not played competitive football for months now. How does he melt a place on the team? Maybe that is no criteria for playing for Cranes at the moment,” stressed Nsimbe.
All in all, whether he puts up a gallant performance in South Africa or not, some mistakes better be sorted out so that future national team players get on the team on merit not by names.
