Fred Kaweesi
10 January 2009
Kampala — AFTER intimately watching Cranes' 4-0 humiliation of Somalia this week, Tunisia national team assistant coach Habib Mjeri instantly stated: "Steven (Bengo) is unfortunate that he was born in Uganda."
Mjeri, here on scouting duty over his country's 2010 world Cup qualifying stage opponents Kenya, was of the view that the youngster has such a wealth of talent and could have been declared 'World class' had he been Tunisian or Nigerian.
With three international caps to his name already that will forever remain far-fetched.
But what the SC Villa midfielder and the rest of the Cranes side can do to claim international identity now is to perform to the very best of their powers and help inspire Uganda into the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup final in front of billions on global television GTV today.
Football is about taking your opportunities, about performing on those decisive occasions throughout a career when the stakes could not be higher.
Cranes' semi-final against Burundi today will present Bobby Williamson's 11 cards the opportune moment of not only making their success-starved nation proud but also substantial reason to know what they are good at and the qualities that have gotten them this far.
Cranes' have got this far without major contributions from their out-and-out forwards Geoffrey Massa, Ceaser Okhuti and Brian Umony. In fact, Tonny Mawejje has been the heart and soul of the team's progress to the knock-out stages.
But on an afternoon when everyone will be on the edge of their seats, whoever of the three that starts will be expected to perform at the peak of their powers against a Burundi side that loves to press the game, possess the ball and so often relies on space to exterminate its prey.
The fast-improving footballing country clustered with a few Congolese-born players, has exhibited finesse and astute movement in the group matches, on and off the ball.
For Cranes to earn a landmark result, the team will definitely have to up its game, to begin with, in midfield where Owen Kasule is suspended and the defensive third of the pitch where Claude Nahimana, with three goals so far to his name, could prove a nuisance.
Midfield cracks
Against Tanzania, Cranes boss Bobby Williamson made two changes from the side that swept aside Somalia with Wagaluka starting ahead of the injured Vincent Kayizzi and Massa starting alongside Umony for the first time.
With Mawejje and Kasule re-deployed as defense-cum-attacking cards, Cranes game often threatened to stretch Tanzania.
The absence of Kasule will wreck a midfield-marriage that had been fast-developing and an area Cranes' seemed short in midfield when Mawejje was withdrawn. In case Patrick Ochan does not recover in time from his head injury, Robert Kimuli or Mude Musa could step in. Kayizzi and Okhuti will start on the bench. "We will need to keep our mentality right into the semi-finals," Williamson stated after the Tanzania match.
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