The Challenge Cup is certainly not the top notch tournament it used to be in the 70s and 80s, as the only major regional soccer competition after the African Nations Cup. A lot has changed, but so it seems, is this new-look Bobby Williamson-led Cranes team that won the 10-nation tournament  for a record 10th time on January 13?

Robert Madoi, a Ugandan journalist who keeps tabs on local sport from his study base in Edinburgh, Scotland, summed the cynic mood.

“CECAFA is dead, I don’t think that the current Cranes can wallop all teams in their way without breaking a sweat!” he wrote after receiving the result that Uganda had beaten Kenya 1-0 in a thrilling final. Cranes had also conceded a single goal and scored 16 in six games.

Add to that, it was Uganda’s first victory over the Kenyans since 1996.

 CECAFA is either dead or the Cranes have finally grown feathers on their wings and started flying. A fan in Kireka summed up what the critics hope is happening.

 “Before a man in a coma passes away, he will regain consciousness, even talk to people around him and then close his eyes for good,” the critic said with a sneer.

Rwanda, Kenya, Sudan and Zambia were clearly the favorites going into the tournament. Only Kenya survived and despite some scintillating football, were undone by an early Brian Umony goal in the final.

Success will ease the pressure on 47-year-old Scottish coach Williamson, whose failure to lead Uganda into the final phase of the 2010 World Cup-African Nations Cup qualifiers triggered severe criticism.

The competitive debut of Williamson last September was a disaster with the Cranes surrendering the lead to lowly Niger to lose 3-1, destroying dreams of a first World Cup appearance.

Impressed with Cranes performance this time round is former FUFA and CECAFA president Denis Obua. He says competition in the CECAFA has moved to a higher level. “Look at the four teams in our region; Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan and Tanzania. They have all qualified for the second round of the Nations Cup/World Cup qualifiers,” he said. “This had never happened before; we used not to have four teams in the region performing that well.”

 Obua singled out Kenya, which he said “played very good football and was technically more astute than victors Uganda.” 

“Can you imagine even Somalia played very well, this had never happened. So, competition in CECAFA is still very tight,” he said.Cranes won because of the local federation’s decision to use local players, Obua says.

“We have been missing out because of those so-called professional players who just come in at the last minute. But the local players did a fantastic job,” Obua concluded.

Comments (5)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Add Comment Preview