The all familiar joke is on again, making the rounds on the Internet, that Harambee Stars never beats anyone. The whole country was madly high on hopes, not to qualify but both to beat the noisy Ugandans and to kill their dreams of participating in the AFCON tourney early next year. Well on the latter, the target was achieved heavily aided by the Palancas Negras’ 3-0 win over Guinea Bissau but the target that really mattered was by far below par! The team had a remote chance of qualifying for the prestigious tournament, depending hugely on mathematical possibilities yet worse even their fate was not in their hands, needing to win and hope that Angola loses in Guinea Bissau. Well that was clearly not about to happen, so the immediate aim was to play for the bragging rights.

We needed to assert our authority in this game and pass the information to the region as regards who the boss is but our performance was so wanting that we always seemed to live dangerously from the first minute onwards. Dennis Oliech was in particular the biggest culprit. The captain played like the game didn’t matter at all and for a player of his caliber, with UEFA Champions League experience and plying his trade for a high flying French side, his performance was so casual, not worthy being regarded as that of the leader. Everyone was boisterous and in bullish mood having in mind Oliech’s form for his club. Just when the whole nation was feeling the pressure from the Ugandans was too much and goal would have watered their thirsty throats, Oliech received a nice pass and skipped past the Ugandan last man but just when it was expected that he’d do what players of his experience do, a rush of blood ensued and he failed to beat the Ugandan keeper from inside the box, blasting his shot high and wide when everyone expected him to just place the ball at the far corner! And it is even worse that after the Ugandan keeper had narrowed the angle, Baraza was free on the other side shouting for the ball. A pass to him would have meant an easy tap in for the AFC Leopards man. Well, that, I should say was very casual from the captain not to mention that with all his experience he couldn’t curve out any other goal scoring opportunity. In the first half he also attempted a shot that was blocked by the Ugandan defence when he could have easily passed to Mariga who was open on goal and thereafter Mariga’s protestations over the same raised the ever-lingering questions about their relationship.

Mariga himself wasn’t a saint either. His performance was as disappointing as you can imagine. It left a lot to be desired and one would wonder how much we still have to improve if these are the best players we have. Having been given a free role we all expected to see something outstanding from the Real Sociedad midfielder who is also a Champions League winner. But for all our hopes we saw a series of endless and disjointed contributions to the game while he almost stuck to the same spot literally when a lot of mobility from him would have clearly provided open chances for our strikers. His performance wasn’t just disappointing because he is a professional but we surely have seen him do better, this time round he didn’t even try doing better, sticking upfront after losing the ball hoping that the defenders will win it back and supply it to him again so he can waste it!

His brother, Victor Wanyama was so ordinary! His contribution generally to the game was anything any ordinary player could have been expected to do. Lapses in concentration, which could make an opponent come in from behind to notch the ball away, misplaced passes and a clearly half hearted performance characterized his dismal game for the stars.

Inclusion of foreign based players in a team is aimed at ensuring they produce something special but when these pros end up doing what we see every other day, what we know as ordinary football, they fail to inspire and in the end the game ends in disappointing fashion. That was the case for Wanyama in Kampala and in case he and the others want to be regarded as the pros they are, they better start taking a different and better approach of games.

Zico was also an all round let-down to the country, on a technical aspect. I disagreed with the way he structured the starting lineup and was even dismayed to see the same team walk out in the second half and not even with a different approach! Any good manager who has watched Mike Baraza play would never dare start him on the wing. Baraza is a lethal striker with a very sharp eye for goal but Zico made him look like just any other player. So anonymous was he that in the first half he was almost invisible, it is even unthinkable that Zico still sent him out in the second half in the same position! By the time he was substituted I fancy he was so disappointed that he didn’t have an impact in the game like we know him to do. Zico’s decision to start the game with Kevin Ochieng on the right wing was also questionable. The Gor Mahia midfielder was not just sluggish when with the ball but was also very lazy when he was required to be back defending and he really did make Osborne Monday look bad in the same wing. His substitution late in the second half was of very little significance to the team as he had already been there too long for his wrongs to be righted. It leaves the question whether his inclusion in the first eleven was based on friendship or true principles of the game as he (Zico) believes in them? I also felt disappointed when he adopted a defensive approach, starting with both Collins Okoth and Wanyama in the midfield when a creative midfielder in the shape of Crispin Olando or Humphrey Mieno would have been a better bet. In the end this approach meant most balls from the midfield were clearances and not passes that are supposed to create goal scoring chances.

I however should salute our great defence for the outstanding job they did to ensure we didn’t concede. Two goal line clearances to deny the Ugandans were just a highlight of the important role the defenders played. The central defensive pairing of James Situma and Pascal Ochieng in particular worked tirelessly and with great determination to ensure no ball went behind them and for this we should all give them a big pat on the back. The goalkeeper, Arnold Origi was particularly outstanding in the game, pulling a string of saves that clearly frustrated the Ugandans as well as kept the travelling fans high in pride. He was undoubtedly the man of the match and is probably the biggest reason Uganda won’t be taking part in the forthcoming AFCON competition. In my opinion, he is the only foreign based player who lived to his billing!