Uganda Cranes Coach Micho Sredojevic is happier than he has been in the past month following the clearance of his three-month salary arrears. His employers, Fufa, are ecstatic after receiving Shsh660m from President Yoweri Museveni on Saturday. The money, sent to Fufa, is to enable the federation prepare the national team for the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign opener in Ghana this Friday and clear Micho to zero. Cranes play an international friendly in Lome against Togo tomorrow and departed yesterday before continuing to Tamale to face the three-time World Cup finalists in a group E tie. “The President has required me to deliver a message to the team and the coaches that they should represent their country to the pride of Ugandans and he is fully behind us,” Fufa boss Moses Magogo is quoted by the federation’s website, www.fufa.co.ug.
“The Message was delivered by a telephone call from the head of state to the Fufa president this morning ,” the statement further read. Fufa chief executive officer Edgar Watson gave a detailed allocation. “We shall use the funds to cover accommodation, team allowances, air tickets of the professionals, the team travel to Togo, then to Accra and finally to Tamale ,” Watson said. Part of the bounty will go towards clearing Micho’s three-month salary arrears. Though his contract, as Fufa repeatedly say, remains confidential, Micho reportedly earns in the region of US$10-12, 000 per month since taking charge of Uganda three years ago.
No figure is mentioned in regard to how much of ShS660m is Micho’s pay. What’s certain is that the Serb was owed money and threatened to take his cries to Fifa. This newspaper placed the debt at Shs235m including bonuses and air ticket reimbursements as the #PayMicho hashtag spread on social networking site…
Meanwhile, The Uganda Cranes take on Togo in a friendly match ahead of their Russia world cup qualifier against Ghana.
The match will be played this afternoon in the Togolese capital of Lome.
The team landed in Lome yesterday ahead of the buildup match.
Uganda plays its first group game against Ghana in Tamale on the 7th October this Friday.
The cranes are pooled alongside Ghana, Egypt and Congo Brazaville in the same group.
