Ashdod FC striker Fahad Bayo scored all the three goals the Uganda Cranes managed during their failed 2022 World Cup qualification campaign.
The former Vipers SC player was on target for the Cranes in a one-all draw against Kenya but before that, he had scored in both the 1-0 victories in a doubleheader against Rwanda.
His effort is the only positive thing that caught the attention of Ugandans in the entire campaign, praising him that much. Anything else was criticism for head coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic and the rest of the team.
But from the technical point of view, renowned football coaches Mike Mutebi, Sam Ssimbwa and Jackson Mayanja all agreed that the kind of goals Bayo scored were fortuitous therefore Ugandans should not be carried away.
“Well it is right to give him credit as a player for scoring the goals but it was not in a convincing way,” Mutebi told Football256 in an interview before adding.
“He is a good striker with the physical strength and good aerial prowess and I know he can do better but those goals happened by chance.”
“They were casual and he will not keep on scoring such goals so what happens next? We shall not score because we can not construct goals as a team, so the technical team has got a very big job to do,” he added.
Meanwhile, the former URA FC head coach Ssimbwa was quick to note that Steven Mukwala and Yunus Sentamu could be better options than Bayo if given more playing time like he also gets.
“In the games, Mukwala played with Bayo, the former was better but because he wasted some good chances the coach was not patient with him.”
“But if it was me who knows him (Mukwala) this much I would leave him on the pitch because after being that wasteful, the next thing he does is score, I have seen it so much at club level.”
“For Sentamu’s case, he is naturally a gifted player and can do a lot of things when given time, unlike Bayo. Anyone would score all the goals Bayo scored,” Ssimbwa explained.
On the other hand, former Uganda Cranes midfielder Jackson Mayanja praised him for his work rate but could also vocal on the fact that he is not one to rely on for goals.
“The fact that he scored the goals is credible enough, and also his work rate is commendable but on another day he will not score because the opposing teams will not keep on doing such mistakes.”
“They were mistakes goals that we should all agree with because like in the game against Kenya, which goalkeeper does such a blunder?”
“Alongside him, we even have more other options like Mukwala and Sentamu who do well up front but let’s improve when it comes to offensive play,” Mayanja noted.
Bayo marked his senior team debut against Malawi in 2019 in the 2021 AFCON qualifiers and also scored in the Cranes’ 2-0 victory at Namboole.
He has featured in seven competitive games for the national team managing a total of four goals, one in the AFCON qualifiers and three in the four World Cup qualifier games he played.
One Response
It’s just because you think West Nilers are not Ugandans, rubbish! Stop decampaigning Bayo, credit him. Some of those European players even score “By Mistake” but at the end of the day, trophies come. This is so unprofessional!
We are all Ugandans.