Former Uganda Cranes midfielder Jackson Mayanja had partly attributed the Cranes’ failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup to the head coach’s rigid tactics in a dynamic football world.

According to Mayanja, rightfully regarded as a legend in Ugandan football and famed for his mastery of skills and ability to win games for both club and country during his playing times, Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic’s game plan denies the players ‘the right to play.

Mayanja believes the players need to be encouraged to freely express their talent on the pitch with the help of the coach’s tactical plan.

“We need to change our gameplay, we need to start playing attack-minded football,” Mayanja stressed while appearing on Sunday’s NBS The Score Sports program.

“We defend too much even in games we are supposed to win easily,” the former Cranes attacking midfielder added following Uganda’s 1-0 loss to Mali in Morocco on Sunday evening.

Mayanja also noted that there is a very big problem of inconsistency in players that have also affected the national team in terms of selection.

“He said: “That is why some players are hyped now and after just a short while, they are not even called because they are not performing at the expected top level.”

Regardless of who is called and who is not, Mayanja remains not impressed at all that Micho is the right man for the Cranes job, despite having helped Uganda qualify for the AFCON finals after 39 years back in 2017, during his first stint.

It is not yet a year since Micho was recalled to the Uganda Cranes to replace Jonathan McKinstry, and the Cranes legend already feels the coach is adding less to the team.

“Right now, we need someone extraordinary,” Mayanja bluntly stated in regards to who should be the Uganda Cranes coach.

“We need someone who can add something to the National team in terms of coaching and that is how we will be able to qualify for the 2026 World Cup,” Mayanja reiterated.

He is however optimistic that there is some hope as regards a very fundamental factor in football development that is, financial support.

“The government is now supporting the federation financially, so, I think the government has done the required job,” Mayanja noted, emphasizing that the Uganda National football team’s problems are not exactly financial.

He recalled that during ‘their time in the 1990s, not so long when the current NRM government had just come into power, they could not inject any money into sporting activities like football.

Mayanja also feels FUFA should task themselves to engage various legends to be around the National team. He believes they can motivate the players and help the federation in many ways that he did not specify.