It is now a public secret that Milutin “Micho” Sredojevic is no longer the coach of the Uganda national football team.
After days of speculation, the Serb confirmed his exit on Saturday in a press briefing held at Kabira Country club.
Micho cites unpaid wages and disrespect of his values as the reasons why he threw in the towel to bring down the curtains on his 4 year tenure.
ChimpReports’ Joel Muyita looks at how Micho’s departure will affect the Cranes.
In all his inadequacies, Micho seemed like he was the right man to handle the Uganda Cranes. He literally worked under tough conditions but went on deliver at the end of the day.
At one point, Micho and Cranes seemed like a match made in heaven.
Coming after failing with Rwanda, there was almost a unanimous belief that Micho was not the right man for the job. And when the results did not come good for Uganda, there were calls to boot him out.
First things first, he came to the team at the time when qualification to the African Cup of Nations had become a wild goose chase for Uganda.
After several near misses, qualification seemed almost futile. The prime target and desire for every Ugandan at the time was to play at the coveted tournament.
Why Micho suited the Cranes?
For a man who had been on the continent for over a decade, Micho had gathered the necessary experience to make his mark as a coach.
When he came in Africa for the first time in early 2000s at SC Villa, he was not known to anyone. The success he got at SC Villa propelled him to greater heights and saw him move around the continent. So by the time he took on the Cranes, he was ready enough to deliver.
Unlike his predecessors, Lazio Csaba and Bobby Williamson who were coaching in Africa for the first time, Micho had acquired the necessary experience.
Micho’s commitment is unrivalled. He gives 100% and always thinking about how best he can deliver. He is by far one of the coaches in Africa that take their time to do research.
What his departure means?
Micho leaves Uganda at a very crucial moment with several important matches lined up.
The four games in August (two against Rwanda in the CHAN qualifiers and two against Egypt in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers) will be a hard task for whoever will be in charge.
Whoever replaces Micho will have a challenge in trying to match what the Serbian tactician has achieved over the four years.
Qualifying to the African Cup of Nations, qualifying to the CHAN final tournament twice, winning the CECAFA title and above all learning the trade of winning away from home which was a myth prior Micho’s era.
In a nutshell, Micho had mastered what it takes to deliver with the Cranes, regardless of the conditions and players available. And without a shade of doubt, his departure leaves a gaping hole.