By Rora Media Admin
Changes done at the national netball team, She Cranes has raised questions about the newly elected Uganda Netball Federation (UNF) president Joselyn Ucanda and her technical team.
Over the weekend, She Cranes started training at Makerere University training grounds in preparations for the Vitality Netball Nations Cup slated for February 1-9, 2025 in England.
Nelson Bogere who has been the head coach alongside his assistant, Noordin Kato were sacked and replaced by Rashid Mubiru and former She Cranes star, Ruth Meeme respectively.
Bogere and Kato led the team to a second-place finish in Netball Africa Cup last month in Swakopmund, Namibia. Earlier in November 2024, they had led the team to a third-place finish in the FAST 5 tournament in New Zealand.
The changes, didn’t spare players as Mercy Batamuliza (KCCA), Joyce Nakibuule (Prisons), Linda Muzigo (UCU), Josephine Bakhitta (UCU) who were star performers for the She Cranes in the previous 2 tournaments were too dropped.
Apart from the dropped coaches and players, the return Florence Nanyonga who was among the players for 2015 Australia World Cup and 2019 Liverpool World Cup squads was also a surprise and it attracted questions on why she’s back. She last played for the team in 2021 Pent-series in Namibia which Uganda won.
Was Mubiru and Meeme the best coaching option?
A foreign coach was much expected to take over She Cranes just because of experience ahead of Bogere, Fred Mugerwa and Kato who once were in control of the team but surprising Rashid Mubiru of NIC, with school netball experience (he trained St. Mary’s Kitende, Buddo, Victoria University, Kyambogo among others) was selected. He replaced Mugerwa in 2015 World Cup and the team finished eighth. In 2019 World Cup they finished seventh under him.
Ruth Meeme was selected to assist Mubiru. Apart from being a care taker coach for Prisons, Meeme has never coached any other team. Kato had a Level 3 coaching licence which allows him to coach even at Africa Cup but was dropped.
A Pro-less team summoned
The team includes; Irene Eyaru, Shadia Nassanga, Sandra Ruth Nambirige and Christine Nakitto all from KCCA, Racheal Nanyonga, Margaret Baagala, Fildauce Namulema, Penlope Amiya, Gloria Ayaa, Nasiimu Mutesi (NIC), Sylivia Nanyonga (Prisons), Hindu Namutebi (Police), Joan Reykoboth (Kitende) and Aniisha Muhameed Nakate. There’s no professional player on the list.
