Height matters as competition heats up at the Euros

It is interesting that many of the iconic names in football are short players.

The likes of Pele, Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi were distinctly short compared to the competition. Yet as the game continues to evolve, we are seeing more teams building around tall players. This is one of the most compelling things I have noted in the ongoing Euro tournament.

Data from the tournament shows that the average height of players at the tournament is six feet, which is a testament that height is playing a significant role in the game. There are a few exceptions, like N’golo Kante, but as the games get to be decided by small technical margins, one ought to take advantage of aerial duels and one-on-one physical match-ups.

Which brings me home where there is no system to fast-track tall players from the grassroots. This is not to mean that height is the most important attribute for a successful player. But it is a solid foundation to groom a player.

When I look at the current Cranes side, I see a short team that cannot compete at the high- est level. There are not more than four players above six feet. I was criticized when I brought this up before Uganda’s game against Algeria, and it came to pass.

As skilled as the current Cranes squad may be, it is a team that lacks the physicality to outmuscle opponents in 50/50 situations. We may be good enough to qualify a team to the Africa Cup of Nations but we cannot sustain a team to be able to compete for years because we lack balance.

If I was in charge of the game, I would put out a deliberate policy to identify young physically- gifted players, especially from tournaments like Masaza Cup, and nurture them into top players.

In hindsight, top players are ‘manufactured’ on the basis of their physical attributes, not by their raw talent. This could also explain why teams in Europe are increasingly relying on black players.