Nations cup is not like a parliament

Coach Sellas Tetteh and other managers of various national teams from the East and Central African region should keep in mind that qualifying for the African Nations Cup is achieved on merit. As the third qualifying matches for the 2012 African Cup of nations take place this weekend, most of the CECAFA member states have ignited prospects to overcome the ghost of not qualifying to the bi-annual event. The nation’s cup has been dominated by West and North Africans for so long. No CACAFA member country has ever won the tournament. The nation’s cup is not like a parliament where every body is represented. It would have been easy if regional bodies COSAFA or CECAFA were obliged to send a team to the tournament. Qualification to the nation’s cup is achieved through preliminary qualifying rounds and make sure best teams make it to the most important football event on the continent. During previous three African nation’s qualifying rounds, East African teams have failed to qualify leaving the bi-annual tourney to be dominated by West and North African teams. Rwanda and Kenya qualified for 2004 bonanza in Tunisia and were all knocked out during the first round. I have heard that Uganda was once a football power house in 1970s. I have listened to nostalgic accounts of that Cranes team from 1978 that almost charmed its way to the African Cup of Nations crown. But it is such a long time ago and the fact that there has been nothing of note in between makes it appear like there is need to constantly remind them that they were once good. Uganda has not qualified for the AFCON games in the last 32 years while they have fared impressively in the regional games. The continental games have proved a huge mountain for Ugandans to scale. Even the less said about Guinea Bissau drawn in the same group with the cranes have done better in previous qualifying rounds. Beating teams like Somalia, Djibouti and Zanzibar seem to have shadowed the CACAFA soccer big wings plans to conquer Africa. This time round, some East African teams were drawn against seemingly easy groups and there is chance that East Africa will be represented at the 2012 nation’s cup. Group F features two of the CACAFA member’s states Uganda and Kenya alongside Guinea Bissau and depleted Angola. Uganda leads the qualifying surge with Kenya being their closest challengers. Uganda has managed to beat Angola and Guinea Bissau. Group F has no strong opponent as you look at the players in the four teams, there is little in terms of the stature of the players who were paraded by Kenya, Uganda and Angola. But Kenya gets a small head start because two of their players are currently plying their trade with teams taking part in Europe’s top flight league. In Harambee Stars’ ranks is Inter’s MacDonald Mariga, who last season won a treble with the Italian giants. Dennis Oliech of French club Auxerre has been a regular for his team. Uganda’s foreign based players include Hearts forward David Obua, Vincent Kayizi (Srem in the Serbia), Tony Mawejje (IBV in Iceland), Hassan Wasswa (Altay Izmir, Turkey) and Ibrahim Sekagya (Red Bull Salzburg, Austria). Rwanda’s Amavubi needs to beat Burundi national team in Bujumbura as Ivory Coast continues to stop Benin progress in the competition. Ends