Ugandans are demanding the sacking of Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic as the Head Coach of the Uganda Cranes, expressing their dissatisfaction with his performance.
This follows the team’s 1-2 loss against Algeria in the 2023 AFCON qualifiers last evening, which has put their qualification hopes in jeopardy. Currently three points behind Tanzania in Group F, Uganda has only one game remaining and faces a daunting task to secure their spot in the tournament.
Many Ugandans are criticizing Micho’s defensive tactics as the main reason for the team’s poor showing. Lydia Nsamba questioned, “Why is Micho still the coach?” while Baluku Philly commented, “We can’t achieve anything with Micho in charge.”
EmekaUg expressed his frustration by stating, “If Micho remains as the Uganda Cranes coach, it will show that the federation doesn’t have the best interests of Ugandan football at heart.”
However, veteran football analyst Ruben Luyombo believes that the issues with Uganda’s football go beyond Micho. According to him, Uganda is one of the few national teams that lack proper football infrastructure and training.
He pointed out that the team trains in apartment compounds and many of the players are not regulars in their club squads. In contrast, the fringe players of Algeria, who are based in Europe, have significant playing time with their respective clubs.
Luyombo emphasized that Uganda lacks a distinct identity in football, which is built over time, not just during tournaments or qualifiers. He mentioned that Uganda often qualifies for tournaments by default and mistakenly assumes that they are talented or successful.
Renowned football administrator and coach, Mujib Kasule, shares a similar viewpoint with Luyombo. He believes that the lack of identity in Ugandan football extends beyond Micho’s coaching abilities.
Kasule argues that the identity issue lies within the league and the country as a whole. He claims that without a clear identity, the team resorts to playing what he calls “street football.”
The Uganda Cranes now face a difficult path as they strive to keep their dreams of participating in AFCON 2023 alive. Their final match against Niger is a must-win situation, and they will anxiously await the outcome of the Tanzania-Algeria clash, hoping for a favourable result that can turn their fortunes around.