We respect not fear Kenya says unsung cranes hero

Kampala.

Musa Mudde may not be your pin-up in the Uganda Cranes team but when the side’s unsung hero speaks about Kenya, you can’t help but listen.

The Sofapaka midfielder’s two seasons in the Kenya Premier League (KPL) is credible enough for him to assess the Uganda’s chances against the Harambee Stars when the East African neighbours meet in a must win 2012 Nations Cup qualifier next weekend.

A match no one can claim they are not under pressure. “When a match is the one to decide your destiny, even a village team can give you nerves,” Mudde told Sunday Monitor after watching his former side Simba lose to Police 2-0 at Namboole on Friday evening.

“But despite the pressure, we have an upper hand. We are at home and Kenya are poor travelers.” The Stars have lost all their two outings (1-0 to Guinea and Angola).

His coach Bobby Williamson had echoed Mudde’s sentiments when we asked him whether he was under pressure on Thursday.

“Every manager is always under pressure to perform, especially on a match like this,” he said, “But it’s how you deal with it as a manager and a player.”

But Mudde’s village team allusions are not in any way meant to belittle the Kenyans. After all they boast of a European Champions League winner with Inter Milan in McDonald Mariga, now with Real Sociedad, and Auxierre hat-trick hero last weekend Denis Oliech. (Andrew
Mwanguhya)



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