As The Cranes were in transit from Gabon last week, news circled on social media that coach Milutin Micho Sredojevic had resigned. Although that proved false, JOHN VIANNEY NSIMBE examines whether the Serbian tactician is teetering on leaving and what to read in that possibility.
In no uncertain terms, coach Micho told reporters of the BBC after Cranes completed its group matches, that he remained the only national team coach at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) whose salary was not fully paid.
If this did not seem like putting Fufa out there to dry, it was like a parting shot at his employers. However, talking to The Observer later, Micho said he was fully committed to The Cranes job, although questions linger on whether he is still adequate for it.
Micho has been in charge of Uganda for 79 games, winning 36 and losing 25 of them. This places him at a 45.5 percent winning rate since his first game, which was a 0-3 loss to Libya in June 2013. Throughout this time, Micho’s teams have scored 81 goals, which is a sign of lack of potency up front.
Against this, his critics do not feel that there has been much progress in The Cranes since he succeeded Bobby Williamson, who was sacked in April 2013. Williamson was in charge of Uganda for 74 games, winning 40 and losing 17. Under Williamson, Cranes scored 122 goals and conceded 64.
This record would put Micho in the shade especially as far as Cranes offence was concerned then. Yet, considering that Micho guided Cranes to the 2017 Afcon, nothing would probably be bigger than that. Being at the Afcon was something that had eluded Uganda for close to four decades.
And as Fufa president Moses Magogo pointed out in 2015 when Micho’s contract was being extended to 2018, it was always going to be a key deliverable to determine any coach’s tenure at The Cranes’ helm.
Although Micho’s winning rate has been below 50 percent, being at the Afcon is enough cushion for him. Magogo insists that success comes to teams with stability. While Micho has had his quarrels with his bosses, their relationship from the outside looks concrete.
On several occasions, Micho and Magogo were cordial to each other. We have even seen him embrace Magogo, which suggested a close bond between the two men.
However, it is not once or twice before that Micho has exposed Fufa for not paying him, something that ordinarily triggers bad blood between him and his pay masters.
Fufa appear to have accepted that Micho can be erratic. Magogo said last year that success sometimes gets to Micho’s head. In essence, whenever The Cranes makes the headlines, like appearing at the Afcon, Micho develops a sense of entitlement to shoot off whatever he had on his mind without fear of reproach. This includes his fights with critics on Twitter.
But at the same time, Fufa appear to know him so well and appreciate his other qualities, that they are not affected by his rants. Because Micho is known to be such a workaholic, who will do duties that would not ordinarily be in the realm of most professional coaches, he comes off as a big asset to Fufa especially where deficiencies have been sighted over years.
For example, Micho has been instrumental in ensuring that The Cranes get international friendly matches. During Micho’s tenure, Cranes has played 26 international friendly matches. Between 2008 and 2013, Uganda had played 12 friendly matches.
It is that sustainability for team development that Fufa insist they want, and that it is Micho’s pragmatism that ensures that. But, on the other hand, those opposed to Micho’s stay insist that although he is presumed to be behind the many friendly matches Cranes has played, the team does not play in a style that is good on the eye.
Micho is charged for failing to come up with a style of flair. In fact, he is heavily criticised for looking down on expressive players for those that are graft-oriented. A case in point, was his decision to drop players like Muzamir Mutyaba, Saddam Juma and Vitalis Tabu from his Afcon squad.
These are players considered to play with craft and are skillful, yet they do not seem to be in Micho’s plans. And that the longer Micho is around, their future in The Cranes is bleak. But to his defence, Micho has insisted that he picks players based on their performance in training and form.
Besides, Mutyaba and Juma have been with The Cranes before. Juma was given his debut in 2010 by Williamson but went off the boil after the 2011 Chan in Sudan, where he scored Uganda’s only goal at the tournament. Mutyaba was at the 2016 Chan and also played at the 2015 Cecafa, yet still struggled to take charge or influence games at that level. This says a lot about the character of Juma and Mutyaba, something they need to improve.
Micho told The Observer while in Gabon that compared to other countries, Uganda was the least fancied. But they were still very competitive.
Micho insisted that it was the shift he and his support staff put in to get the players ready ‘artificially’. This has got him linked with several teams across Africa, from South Africa, Algeria and Ivory Coast, which have no coaches.
Micho admits he loves Uganda, but that love may be sternly tested by a juicy offer from elsewhere.Â
jovi@observer.ug