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Uganda: Life After Csaba

Mark Ssali

23 July 2008

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Life after Csaba I

Uganda should not be in a hurry to replace Laszlo Csaba, if only to avoid repeating mistakes made in the past. The timing of Csaba's departure for pastures new was as wrong as it was inevitable, but that is now history.

Rather than make a hurried, desperate effort to fill the void though, FUFA should take their time and eventually make a decision to benefit the country in the very, very long term.

The worry here is that FUFA might not be bothered to look beyond next year when fresh elections could see them booted out of Mengo, and what would ideally make sense is quickly finding a successor to save the current qualifying campaign and almost guarantee themselves a kisanja.

When I flipped through Csaba's contract, I realised that Fufa had boxed themselves into a corner; for all his relative success with The Cranes for example, Csaba did not meet the requirements to traverse the country for talent and oversee the progress of the all-important national U-23 side. And I am sure FUFA were struggling with the financial end of a contract worth, in wages alone, upwards of $350,000 over 4 years.

FUFA will only find a man who fully understands the unique demands of a head coach for Uganda, as well as the help necessary (from government, the corporate world e.t.c) to pay that man, only if they take their time.

Life after Csaba II

Debating the merits and demerits of keeping Sam Timbe and David Otti at the helm would last until a few minutes to kick off the Niger-Uganda game in Niamey, early September.

The logical thing to do under the circumstances is to keep the pair in charge of the Cranes for at least the last two games of the first group stage, to in the very least ensure continuity.

Besides taking with him loads of excess baggage to the camp, a new coach from within the available pool in Uganda would want to make his mark and in the process change too many things too quickly, to a predictable end.

The politics of the Ugandan game, oft times petty and cheap, gets in the way of success of local coaches with the Cranes. But like I have insisted here on several occasions, there should be no hurry for the current crop of young coaches in the country who should be looking towards comprehensive training courses to prepare them for the challenge in the future.

Talking politics, my sole worry for Timbe and Otti is the inevitability of that same politics from the current FUFA and their opponents creeping into the Cranes camp before the last two games, causing irreversible chaos within the ranks and bringing the campaign crashing to a premature end. How I wish I were wrong.

Life after Csaba III

I refuse to join the quite loud chorus of those who are shouting good riddance.

That is not to say that Csaba is the best I have seen; not even the flowery twist put to his track record by the foreign press would have me rank him among the top foreign coaches to grace this continent.

But Uganda could still benefit more from Csaba's departure than just the $200,000 FUFA are meant to collect from billionaire Vladimir Romanov.

Csaba and FUFA President Lawrence Mulindwa have enjoyed a better relationship than most, and for all the federation has given the coach they have got to be thankful that he allowed that curious clause for their compensation in the contract.

Now Mulindwa can continue to consummate that relationship by negotiating a link with Hearts, with Bunamwaya for example. Bunamwaya has been accused of sending unworthy players to the Cranes, but they have several gifted youngsters, one or two of whom Csaba could take to Hearts for development, boys like Mike Mutyaba for example.

Csaba can also import one of the senior Cranes players or recommend them to his new colleagues and, like has been rumoured, he could take with him Jackson Mayanja who could then use the opportunity to do his FIFA and Pro licences.

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