By Sekka Bagenda
Born in 1969 and now 51 years of age, he is old enough not to get over excited when making decisions.
He has been here before. He took trophies for once respected and feared Sports Club Villa in the early 2000s.
Micho coached our national football team and helped us qualify for AFCON for the first time in almost 40 years.
It is perhaps why FUFA has trusted him again to coach the same team – Uganda Cranes that he once handled. But what can this Micho really do for us?
He knows Uganda, and Africa
Sredojevic Micho knows Uganda better some of you people you here. He was with Sports Club Villa for more than two seasons. Micho knows very well what a Ugandan player wants.
If given opportunity and time to teach him football, he will do everything to put something valuable into a Ugandan player. He knows them.
In early 2000s, he lifted more than three Super League trophies with Villa. Micho can, undoubtedly, resurrect our struggling national football team.
Micho is good at spotting talent
He trusted Denis Onyango when almost every man around him said Onyango was still too inexperienced to do the things that gaffer Micho later told him to try.
Denis Onyango later did wonders. Doubting Thomases in Football were proven wrong.
Nicholas Wadada, Timothy Awany, Savio Kabugo, Moses Waiswa, Shafik Kagimu, Muzamiru Mutyaba, Milton Karisa, Derrick Nsibambi, William Kizito Luwagga, Paul Mucureezi, Simon Serunkuuma, Tom Masiko, Murushid Jjuuko and Khalid Aucho are among the players that Micho believed in. They are still active football players. His eyes never deceive Micho.
Moses Magogo too busy, with limited time to monitor imported coaches with little knowledge about Uganda and Africa
If you were Magogo, now rich because you are in the august house you were elected into by people in Budiope East, what would you do?
To look for a coach who would not need lectures about the Dark Continent and Uganda was the only option.
Moses Magogo is a busy man now. He is in Parliament. His Micho will do the donkey work for him while he is in the August house thinking for sports and his people back in Buyende.
I was not surprised when it was announced the other day that Sredojevic Micho had returned to be coach of the now demoralized and deeply disorganized Uganda Cranes.
Micho will work more than Uganda will pay him for
He must be a man who loves football more than money. African bosses like the Michos.
He was called to come back and told that heaven is now available in Uganda perhaps.
He, in 2017, had sworn never to handle Uganda’s national Football team again.
Money is the root of all evils in the sector of Football in Africa.
He is old now, therefore experienced and wiser
The Micho of five years ago is not the Micho of today. He has coached football clubs and national teams in Africa for almost two decades now. He has learnt lessons. He possesses experience.
The older some people grow, the wiser they become.
Micho is in this category too. He has come to help us qualify for world cup this time round.
It may not happen but we shall learn some important lessons, when Sredojevic Micho is the coach of the Cranes again.
He is a lucky man
In Uganda, he won trophies with then mighty Villa, at Saint George in Ethiopia, he did the same. Micho has coached football in South Africa.
Lucky Micho coached the Amavubi Stars of Rwanda. He was in Zambia too handling famous Chipolopolo.
Micho has achieved a lot in Football. He is lucky.
It must be the reason why FUFA requested him to return to Uganda and coach the National team. Lucky people are known by God. Anything can happen.
He is easy to work with
Micho has worked with controversial coaches like Mike Mutebi. He never quarreled with difficult to please Moses Basena at any single moment.
He can make arrogant fellow coaches like Fred Kajoba and Kefa Kisala feel at home. Micho seeks advice where necessary.
He is a friend to Moses Magogo and CEO Edgar Watson.
He has talked to upcoming coaches like Douglas Bamweyana, Kefa Kisala and Wasswa Bbosa on several occasions to inform them that patience pays.
This man Micho is almost a Ugandan. He deserved the Cranes job once again.
On the other hand:
Different chapter, same story to peruse
Magogo refused to pay Micho when his only major source of money was Football. He is in parliament now. I am sure Micho will one day run away from Uganda back to Serbia to retire having disagreed hard and, therefore, deeply angry with Magogo’s FUFA.
The richer people in Africa become the greedier they become.
The Magogo of 2017 is slightly different from the Magogo of today. He loves money.
Micho should be ready. Different chapter, same story! Pray for our beloved Uganda Cranes.
sekkabagenda@gmail.com
