Uganda’s poor performance in the AFCON 2021 qualifiers brought an end to one of the greatest eras in Ugandan football history.
The experienced trio of Denis Onyango, Hassan Wasswa, and Mike Azira all announced their retirement from the international stage, leaving gaps within the squad.
In April, FUFA confirmed the sacking of Uganda Cranes head coach Jonathan McKinstry.
In July, the local football governing body announced the appointment of Serbian international, Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic as the national team Head Coach.
Micho was entrusted with the unenviable task of rebuilding the national team. The Serbian has since summoned new faces especially the local-based players. These include; Bobosi Byaruhanga, Geoffrey Wasswa, Enock Walusimbi, Aziz Kayondo, Ibrahim Orit, and Martin Kizza among others.
The World Cup qualifiers seem to have come too soon for the Cranes as the tournament found Micho in the rebuilding process. It is therefore unrealistic for anyone to think they could qualify for the world’s most prestigious football tournament.
The senior players who Micho would have depended on to rebuild (Emmanuel Okwi, Miya Farouk) have been without clubs hence creating more gaps in the team.
Their absence has visibly cost the Cranes as the team has only managed to score three goals from five games, thanks to Fahad Bayo who has scored all the goals.
The other experienced players Murushid Juuko and Khalid Aucho have had issues that kept them out of the squad for some games.
All the tournament, Uganda showed no ‘chemistry’ in their style of play as the majority of the players looked lost while on the pitch.
In one of the interviews with Matooke Republic, Sam Ssimbwa, the former URA coach foresaw the outcomes of the world cup campaign as he said that unless a miracle happens, Uganda cannot qualify for the World Cup while in the rebuilding process.
“We can’t qualify but when I say it, fans might think I am against the federation. No team has ever qualified for such a tournament while in the rebuilding process,” Ssimbwa said.
However, the team has ably competed despite all the challenges. Cranes’ chances of qualification fazed on Thursday when they drew at home against Kenya. Later that same day, Mali thrashed Rwanda 3-0 and qualified for the next qualification stage.
The team will today play its last Group game against Mali in Morrocco.