Cranes captain Geoffrey Massa has taken a lot of stick in the last few months from a cross section of fans and the media over his poor performances.
In response to the criticism, Massa spoke to JOHN VIANNEY NSIMBE about his professional career and dreams while in Gabon, where The Cranes suffered an early exit from the 2017 Afcon last week.
As The Cranes players waited and sorted out their luggage off the carousel at Entebbe airport, upon arrival from Gabon, Geoffrey Massa reached out asking me to take his phone contact.
It was kind of odd: footballers rarely want the media to have their contact because they feel bothered being called to answer questions. In fact, a number of sportsmen look at journalists with disdain; a pain in the back for peering too much into their careers and private lives like watchdogs.
Journalists are seen as always being critical when a footballer’s form is bad, even after they previously praised them for a goal. This sickens many footballers and The Cranes players are not any different.
But Massa is one different sportsman. He does not appear to hold any grudges with the media, and has maintained a receptive smile regardless. He insisted that that is him and he will not change: “I see no reason to feel affected by what is said about me in the media because if I did, I would never have played football this long.”
Massa acknowledged that to be subjected to a barrage of attacks in the media or otherwise because of his bad form is okay. He admitted the media are doing their job.
He said: “When I was banging in the goals, everyone was singing my name from the fans to the headlines in newspapers.”
He hastily added that it was quite normal for him to be receiving negative press now and ridicule from the fans in the stands or social media: “I am the first to condemn myself, and I know I have not been playing well over the last few months.”
Massa continued that it is normal for anyone who is not doing their work well to be berated so that they improve. Otherwise, they would be replaced by someone else who can do the job better.
Throughout the three matches at Afcon, Massa was substituted twice and brought on as a substitute in the final game against Mali. He did not have rave reviews and it is something that he feels so bad about. He said he had been working hard to get back to his old form although it remains elusive.
His major concern is that unless he can start scoring again, Cranes coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic will drop him. Massa revealed that although he had started well in South Africa, when he played for Pretoria TUKS in 2014/2015, his move to Bloemfontein Celtics during the 2015/2016 season undid him.
LITTLE TRUST
“While I initially felt moving to Bloemfontein was progress in my career, I did not get much trust from the coach there; so, I hardly played. That affected my confidence and form. But I am working hard to ensure that I get into the team at Baroka,” Massa said.
However, even at Baroka United, things have not been going well there for Massa. A few weeks ago, word started spreading that Massa and his Ugandan colleague there, Khalid Aucho, had their contracts terminated. But a club official came out later to dismiss the story as fake news.
When asked about it, he insisted he that he is still contracted with Baroka. But he was quick to say that he is desperate to be in the first team soon, and not on the bench, which is a fair shout by any player with ambition.
The 32-year-old’s ambition is to lead The Cranes to the 2018 World Cup in Russia. While many people who have been watching Uganda at the Afcon were calling for Massa to retire now because they feel he is tired, he has not thought about it just yet: “I know my body and the kind of shape it is in. Once I feel I cannot go anymore, I will hang up my boots.”
After facing Egypt and Ghana at the Afcon, Massa believes The Cranes can edge beat the two nations to the World Cup spot. The Cranes have four points, just two behind leaders Egypt, and resume their campaign in August this year. Massa believes it is not a mission impossible to qualify.
He, however, admitted Cranes’ naivety exposed them to that late goal against Egypt in Afcon. Massa is also optimistic The Cranes will be in Cameroon for the 2019 Afcon but results then may not differ if more Ugandan players are not nurtured professionally.
He notes players find it hard staying in a foreign land alone and feel homesick. He added that the weather, the food and the language can also cause depression.
That is what many Ugandan players suffer from. And so, it takes a lot of courage and a strong will to hang in there and make the money, as Massa has. Massa does not see himself playing in the domestic league again.
It is probably that mindset of not wanting to drop in class that has made Massa a fighter to stay at the top. Massa became a professional in 2005 when he joined El-Shams in Egypt at a tender age of 21. He has scored 29 goals for The Cranes in 86 caps to date. He hopes to coach The Cranes when he retires.
With the fortitude that has seen him play professional for over a decade is the same attitude he carries and believes will see him bang in the goals for The Cranes soon, and return to being the darling of the fans and media he once was.
jovi@observer.ug