Legends on show at Namboole

Kluivert dribbles during his peak days at Barcelona. Agencies photo  

In Summary

Soccer. Uganda Tourism Board and other event partners welcomed the legends’ visit and Rayco venture, inviting them to come back. They are confident that this is an endorsement of Uganda to the world.

Kampala. Ludovic Giuly, Deco and Juliano Belletti added to the cast of ex-Barcelona stars in the country yesterday, a day after Gianluca Zambrotta, Francesco Coco, Gaizka Mendieta and striker Patrick Kluivert had touched down.
Earlier, the likes of Edgar Davids, striker Santiago Ezquerro and winger Albert Luque among others had toured Bwindi and Murchison Falls National Parks in Western and Northern Uganda respectively.

They were due their only warm-up session yesterday, while Uganda All-Stars, their opponents at Namboole today, have put in a week of drills for the charity match meant to create awareness about the country and raise funds for ex-Barcelona trainee Rayco Garcia’s academy here.

The excitement is real, the anticipation exhilarating, and with the Ugandan government also using the stars’ visit to market the country’s tourism, it cannot get better. “Uganda is a very beautiful country,” said Kluivert in a press conference at Sheraton Hotel yesterday. “I’m looking forward to playing this match because this country deserves more visibility in the world. It is great for me to play this match in Uganda and to represent Barcelona.”

Enjoy the passion
Mendieta was equally excited. “Looking forward to play and we hope people will come and we enjoy the passion of Ugandans as we have fun.” Manager Munoz Manrique Victor, who hiked the Bwindi mountains as if he were a youth, is confident in his boys.

“The players have been very good and we enjoyed the trip to Bwindi and Murchison Falls,” said the 58-year-old. “We are tight and prepared for the match. We shall enjoy the match. It is a friendly but we want to win. Players enjoyed already and are ready to come back with their children.” Left winger Luque believes “It is not easy to win because the Ugandan players are younger, but we’ll try.”

Rayco, who thanked Ugandans for accepting him, his ex-Barcelona players for standing by him, local partners and President Museveni for warming up to his project, remained slightly hopeful that the so-called ‘big name’ surprise player could still make it.
“Honestly, we are still working on it but some things are not in our control,” he explained, “But still, we have very many big name players here.” Simao Sabrosa, currently playing in the Indian Super League, was still expected but had not got in touch by yesterday, according to Rayco, while Luis Garcia is due in today.

Carles Puyol has been kept away by family commitments. “Puyol’s wife is pregnant and is expecting (to deliver) any time.” With Uganda All-Stars coach Mike Mutebi replacing Geoffrey Massa and Musa Mudde with former Express silky star Fred Tamale and KCC’s ex-midfielder Morley Byekwaso respectively, fans are in for some exciting duels. “That is history enough,” Mutebi said of Tamale’s inclusion, the man who scored the first ever goal at Namboole on the stadium’s opening 17 years ago.

amwanguhya@ug.nationmedia.com