A number local coaches have raised descending voices over the appointing of a foreign coach as the Cubs (U17) and Hippos (U20) head coach.
FUFA President Eng. Moses Magogo unveiled Samuel ‘Paa’ Fabin Kwesi on Wednesday at FUFA house, Mengo.
The Ghanaian tactician was offered a one-year renewable contract with Magogo vesting full trust in the former Ghana U-17 head coach.
Kwesi, who replaced Peter Onen, will be assisted by Jackson Magera and Hamza Lutalo who were named first and second assistant coaches respectively in January.
“The arrival of Samuel Kwesi will improve our underage teams because he is a very experienced coach who has been at the youth World Cup. As Uganda, our dream is to be the best in Africa on and off the field of play. Kwesi has the potential to lead us to the World Cup given his experience. We promise to give him full support,” Magogo told the media.
However, the local coaches sounded disappointed with Fufa’s ‘lack of trust’ in them. SC Villa head coach Douglas Bamweyana, on his social media (Facebook) said: “Just curious! When and why exactly do we lose total trust in ourselves?” Former Maroons Coach Asaph Mwebaze, on the same platform, said that: I welcome Mr. Kwesi as the coach of our youth team. But it is today I question why some of us are deeply involved in football as a vocation. Every football player wants to represent his country be it at any level, so why is it not possible for Ugandan coaches to coach our national teams? 21 years I have coached a game do not make me a suitable candidate, then what will! Mr. Kwesi was given trust by his country and that is why we are looking at him today. So, as local coaches, we have to limit our aspirations to league football!” Before penning a one-year deal with FUFA, Kwesi, a former Ghana U17 head coach has been handling Ghana Premier League side Asante Kotoko. He previously handled Porcupine Warriors, Heart of Lions, Inter Allies and Hearts of Oak. He said that he is in Uganda for a mission and his priority mission is to guide the Uganda U-17 team at the AFCON U-17 finals. “The time is very short but I will give it all my best shot.” The Uganda U-17 team enters residential training this Sunday at the FUFA Technical Centre, Njeru. The Cubs will then depart the country on April 1 for South Africa where they are expected to have an external camp for 11 days. They arrive in Tanzania on April 11 for the MRI tests well in time of the first game against Angola on April 14.
