Immanuel Ben Misagga
Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga is one of the most inspirational people I have as a friend. He is so meticulous in his approach to things that he always spots gaps where you think all is well. I have encountered this on a number of occasions while heading the organisation of the Buganda Royal Regatta.
Owing to Uganda’s dismal exit from the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations, a few days ago on X, he delved into our failure. He noted that not only is The Cranes name not inspirational for a national team, the team lacks identity, and that government agencies should be limited to sponsoring clubs, not owning them. Most importantly, he provided solutions, and the post attracted a lot of feedback.
The Katikkiro literally spoke my mind about the identity crisis of the national team. What we call a national team is actually a collection of individuals with different backgrounds who lack the much-needed camaraderie to make them a unit.
This problem, though mostly blamed on Fufa, actually cuts across our football structures.
The stark truth is this: The Cranes do not suffer from a lack of talent, but from a critical deficit of soul. Our national team is a collection of individuals wearing the same jersey, not a brotherhood fighting for the same cause.
Just imagine—our best player on the team is Allan Okello, yet he starts from the bench most times. Matters are not helped by the fact that he often finds himself without any peers when he is subbed on and was just one of only six locally based players on the Afcon squad.
While the world’s best teams, such as France, Belgium, and Germany, harness diversity as a superpower, we have allowed our differences—such as “loyalty,” foreign-club experience, and personal ambition—to determine who plays for the national team. I have my reservations about coach Paul Put, but the solution is not merely a new coach or a change of tactics; it is the urgent forging of a unifying national narrative, as the Katikkiro noted.
At Afcon, the evidence was there for everyone to see. We saw a team that collapses under pressure, lacks coordinated urgency, and where celebrations were isolated and blame was deflected.
To me, this is not a footballing problem; it is a spiritual one. We have players from all over the world, yet we had no common flag to rally under except the literal one. That is not enough.
Uganda ought to learn from the global game. Did France’s 1998 “Black, Blanc, Beur” squad win because they were simply the most skilled? No. They won because they were welded together by a powerful story—a modern, inclusive France that was bigger than any one player.
Most recently, I also noted that Morocco’s 2022 heroes, who reached the World Cup semi-final, did not just play for Morocco; they played for Africa, for the Arab world, for every underdog. They had a mission.
So, all football stakeholders need to realise the need to drum up patriotism for the national team. Players should not be seen as mercenaries on a mission.
As the Katikkiro suggests, there should be a unique identifier for the national team to unite all Ugandans. Nigerians are masters of this art in Africa, and the way they rally behind their national team makes me envious.
I appreciate the fact that Fufa has previously tried to introduce a national team anthem, but the effort has yet to succeed.
So, the first step to lifting the national team spirit may be to forge inclusivity, allowing players to truly feel Ugandan. Honestly, it doesn’t make sense that we have players such as Elio Capradossi, Toby Sibbick, Uche Ikpeazu, and Melvyn Lorenzen who have never really associated with the ordinary fan.
The time is now to Ugandanise them if we are to move forward as a unit.
The author is a football investor and SC Villa President Emeritus.
