Nassuna ready to lead Crested Cranes to glory
Raring to go. Nassuna says she is ready to lead the Crested Cranes to Cecafa glory. PHOTO | JOHN BATANUDDE
Hasifah Nassuna is one player that could claim to have seen the Crested Cranes transformation from the 2016 rebranding, from She Kobs, to the current preparations for the Africa Women Cup of Nations (Awcon).
Another that could put claim to that is Riticia Nabbosa, who has also been a mainstay in the set-up since the 2016 Cecafa Women Championship at the Fufa Technical Centre, Njeru.
“I’m one of the most experienced players here and the country should expect big performances as we really want to win this championship,” Nassuna said.
“I’ve had a good league season as an individual and I hope that form stays for this tournament and the upcoming Awcon. I know I’ve to create and score goals... I just need to work hard.”
Her role in the national team has never been really nailed down but the country’s top scorer has mostly delivered the bulk of 14 Crested Cranes goals as part of a striking duo.
Nassuna scored six goals in 2016 partnering Fazila Ikwaput (three goals). She then captained Uganda in an unsuccessful first round Awcon qualifier against Kenya in 2018 then went on to miss Cecafa 2018 as she apparently chased a scholarship abroad.
She returned later in the year to make part of the Cosafa Women Championship team in South Africa but had fallen out of favour in coach Faridah Bulega’s team and also lost the armband to Tracy Jones Akiror.
By the time of Cecafa 2019, youngsters Juliet Nalukenge and Fauzia Najjemba were claiming a share of the minutes that Nassuna had already been sharing with Norah Alupo, Spencer Nakacwa and Resty Nanziri, among other forwards.
That is how she started to be shifted to the wings and midfield – a feature that coach George Lutalo kept to at Cosafa 2021 and in the Awcon qualifiers against Ethiopia.
Nassuna is comfortable playing anywhere as long as she is not isolated from play. Fair enough but with Uganda’s struggles to find the back of the net, the solution could lie in giving one of the most potent goal scorers of her generation a defined striking role.
