Fans want Micho out despite Uganda Cranes' triumph in Tanzania

Cranes head coach Milutin Sredojević was under immesnse pressure before the Cranes' 1-0 win over Tanzania(COURTESY PICTURE)

FOOTBALL Fans want Micho out despite Uganda Cranes' triumph in Tanzania

Ndyamuhaki J Emanzi 17:00 - 29.03.2023

Magogo might be going nowhere any time soon, but Micho's future with the Cranes is far from guaranteed.

Few things bring masses together as sport does. Football, in particular, is a crowd-puller.

In Uganda, no national team gets people talking like the Uganda Cranes does. It is the most popular team, just like football is the most popular sport.

It is also the most funded team by the government despite continuously registering poor results on the big stage.

And that means that almost everyone has an opinion on how the team should be summoned, prepared, selected and how it should play.

The Cranes have done little to impress Ugandans, but that 1-0 win over Tanzania Tuesday night was crucial in the AFCON qualifying campaign.

It came after a 1-0 loss to the Taifa Stars in Egypt and not only resurrected Uganda's qualification dreams but also took some pressure off the head coach Milutin Sredojević, and slightly, the federation and its president Moses Magogo.

First, the frustration started with the fans being unable to watch the team at home due to the lack of an up-to-standard stadium. That saw the home match played in Egypt last Friday before Tuesday's away clash in Dar es Salam.

Then there was the issue of national broadcaster UBC being unable to telecast the home game because FUFA got the rights to relay the game via FUFA TV.

Then came the team's shambolic performance on the day as several senior players put up a show that left a lot to be desired.

Farouk Miya, Joseph Ochaya and Emmanuel Okwi all failed to leave a mark on the game as the seasoned campaigners on the team.

Miya would, however, redeem himself with an exquisite through ball that Rogers Mato buried for Crane's later winner in Dar es Salam- Tuesday night.

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The fans, mainly through social media, do not seem to have changed their stance about Micho.

Calls for his immediate sacking remain, with many pointing out the team's lack of a playing style and failure to accommodate creative players in the Serb's line-ups.

The Serbian tactician has had his tactics, team selection and overall game approach questioned by many since his return to the Cranes' top job in 2021.

His safety-first approach to the game has left more creative talents like Allan Okello, Ismail Mugulusi and Travis Mutyaba on the fringes at the expense of more combative players.

Before Uganda faced off with Tanzania on Tuesday night, social media was already awash with calls for Micho and his boss Moses Magogo to step down from their respective roles of the head coach and Fufa president.

"We need to start a campaign to save Ugandan football from the bullies and Lunatics. #MagogoOut," a one Gabriel Buule Tweeted hours before the Cranes faced the Taifa Stars in Dar es Salam.

If Buule's Tweet needed to be more precise in painting the picture, Bruce Nahabwe's must have been.

"It's high time Magogo and his wife find their way out of this country. Parliament is now in total dismay, FUFA is at its loggerheads b'se of an individual! #MagogoOut," Nahabwe's Tweet read.

Veteran journalist Gaza Kodili was not left out of the action. He Tweeted: "We MUST Save our Soccer (SOS) from the greedy parasitic cartel at FUFA headed by a one Moses Magogo which is hellbent at sucking all is left our blood. #MagogoOut."

Kanungu Price shared a picture of both Micho and Magogo at the former's unveiling and captioned it: "The double cancer eating up Uganda football the earlier we treat it the better. #MagogoOut #MichoOut."

Magogo might be going nowhere any time soon, but Micho's future with the Cranes is far from guaranteed.

The FA has called for a press conference concerning national teams on Thursday, and, before Tuesday's win, it was highly expected that the Serb's future would be the elephant in the room.

But that could have changed with that late Mato strike that got the Cranes right back on track in the qualifiers.

With two games left to play in Group F, Uganda are third on the log, tied on four points with Tanzania.

Results in the last two games, at home to Algeria and away to Niger, could be enough to see the side qualify for AFCON.