Six things Fufa must address after Cranes fail to qualify for Afcon

In Kampala

The  2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign for Uganda ended on Monday in similar painstaking fashion as the Chan no-show in Cameroon.

And little did Fufa, Cranes and Ugandans, know that the disappointing exit from the Africa Nations Championship (Chan) would be the only time - for now - they would be in Cameroon as a nation on Caf calendar activities.

Well, Malawi ensured just of that, and it is the Flames instead that joined Burkina Faso in that Cameroon party next year, with Uganda reduced to TV audience.

But all said and done, it is now back to the proverbial drawing board, and as expected, Fufa president Moses Magogo will address the nation on the next steps anytime now.

Here are six things he should clearly come out and communicate to the nation in his presser:

Johnny McKinstry

This remains an unresolved issue, mainly because of the manner the Northern Irishman was abruptly halted. His contract runs until September 2022, and having stayed around even after being told to step aside, the last thing he will be accused of is absconding duty. Fufa must expedite their negotiations with the Ugandan Government, which pays his salary, and McKinstry so that his compensation is taken care of and that cloud is lifted God speed.

Abdallah Mubiru

He had an interim task of completing successful Afcon qualification for Cranes in two games and fell short. But should he be judged on that? Hugely unfair. But whatever the case, Fufa must now come clear on whether Mubiru takes over the reins permanently or someone else, local or foreign, will be hired. The last thing you want is to go into the 2022 Qatar World Cup qualifiers in June with an interim man still in charge.

World Cup qualifiers

The 2022 Qatar World Cup qualifiers couldn't have come at a better time. Uganda are grouped alongside Mali, Kenya and Rwanda. The last thing Cranes fans wanted was a long spell out of international football, but with the World Cup qualifiers due in just two months, there is reason to anticipate, again. But the time is now for Fufa and Magogo to be clear about what they want from the new coach. They should state it clearly if it's for winning a certain number of World Cup qualifying games or it's a long term arrangement.

Team direction

This is one area where most Fufa administrations have terribly fallen short. And asking McKinstry to step aside with two qualifying games left told more of it. Was it in McKinstry's contract that he must not lose in the first four Afcon games? One of the reasons Fufa asked him to step aside was because they feared the team would not qualify. If Fufa are to make us believe their dream of being the number one footballing side in Africa, then hiring coaches for qualification is the wrong route.

Clearing deadwood

Fufa and the coach that comes on board should decide their philosophy and identity and work with the players they believe suit their objectives. There are old heads in that team that have served this country well, but their time has come to move on. Allan Okello, Moses Waiswa, and a host of other new blood across the country should now be allowed to step in. That does not, however, mean all senior players should be discarded in one go.

Fufa management

The coaches have taken their fair share of the blame, so have the players. But how about Fufa? Yes they have given coaches and players the best they could to do their job. Plaudits for that. But what do Fufa's actions, say management of the Khalid Aucho saga and action on Johnny McKinstry say about their collective cognitive abilities? Can they be trusted enough to make better judges going forward? Are they even the right hands to carry us forward? Should Magogo let go of Fufa and concentrate on his new legislative role in Parliament? Only time will tell.

Qatar World Cup 2022 qualifying groups

Group A: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Niger, Djibouti

Group B: Tunisia, Zambia, Mauritania, Equatorial Guinea

Group C: Nigeria, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Liberia

Group D: Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mozambique, Malawi

Group E: Mali, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda

Group F: Egypt, Gabon, Libya, Angola

Group G: Ghana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia

Group H: Senegal, Congo, Namibia, Togo

Group I: Morocco, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Sudan

Group J: DR Congo, Benin, Madagascar, Tanzania

*First group matches will take place in June