Puyol, Zambrotta, Deco…only miss if you must

Being the eternal skeptics the majority of Ugandans are, it was not surprising that they treated news of FC Barcelona’s imminent trip to the country with cynicism.
Indeed on the face of it, the rich list of players set to line up against Uganda All-Stars on December 12 at Namboole looks too good to be true. Except that it is actually true.
Next month, Uganda will host some of the finest players of the last generation, many of whom scaled the very highest level of the game as evidenced by their honours for club and country.

The trip, organised by ex-Barca trainee and Leeds United player Rayco Garcia, will see a cream line-up of legendary La Blaugrana players showcase their skills against Uganda All-Stars.
According to Garcia, revenue from the match will be used to erect a first class football academy to nurture youngsters with a view to further their careers in professional football in Europe.

“I see a lot of talented kids in Uganda,” Garcia says. “I see players with determination and passion, but what kills them is a lack of facilities.
“Because of the bad pitches, the ball comes to a kid moving like a rabbit. In the end that kid will fail to master the basics of ball control, not because he is a bad player but because he honed his game on a poor surface.”
More importantly now for Rayco is the small matter of the Uganda All-Stars vs Barcelona Legends match in three weeks time.

Organising the match has not been without challenges; raising the €700,000 (Shs2.5b) for FC Barcelona and its legends is some work. But support came in from President Museveni (€180,000) , Uganda Tourism Board (€100,000), Nile Breweries ($100,000) and a host of other sponsors.
The stellar cast of the names set to fly to Uganda has almost inevitably made it a must-attend for any fan of the beautiful game.

Perhaps the stand-out footballer of the ones whose attendance has been confirmed is Carlos ‘The Wall’ Puyol, the shaggy-haired leader of arguably the finest club team of any era.
The irony, of course, is that Puyol’s talent was everything but the aesthetic mould of teammates Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets.
Yet he was the commander of Barcelona’s best ever side with his exemplary character. The centre half, who could also play full back, earned 100 caps for Spain winning the European and World Cup titles in the greatest Spanish side ever.
Indeed it is almost impossible to discuss Spanish football without mentioning Puyol; seemingly the antithesis of tiki-taka but in reality the foundation upon which the country’s silky, possession-oriented style was built.

Statistics rarely lie and 21 major titles at FC Barcelona, the only club he ever played for in his career, are testament to a genuine living legend of world football.
Remarkably the Puyol who often wore a rugged character on the pitch is the opposite off it, with a laid back lifestyle and affable nature that has endeared him to fans in his homeland.
If Puyol was craggy, Deco was a sleek, easy-on-the-eye operator who broke down teams with ingenuity. The widely travelled Portuguese of Brazilian descent was smart in possession and often probed to thread in balls that broke the resistance of teams.
His two Champions League titles at Porto and FC Barcelona in 2004 and 2006 respectively point to a master of his trade, and one whose presence at Namboole is sure to give fans their money’s worth.

Deco and Puyol are retired 38 and 37 but don’t be fooled, they are as fit as a fiddle and can still play.
The shades of their qualities will be on display and no one should think for a second Uganda All-Stars will have it easy.
Former Cranes coach Mike Mutebi, now employed at league leaders KCCA, will handle the Uganda All-Stars team and is expected to announce it next week.
Mutebi is expecting a competitive encounter for the Ugandan side against the legends of FC Barcelona. “I know for a fact that these are professionals who quite the game only a couple of years ago and remain in fine physical and mental condition,” Mutebi reasoned.

The three certain players to be released for Uganda All-Stars are David Obua, Tonny Mawejje and Simeon Masaba, all three having featured in promotional material for the match.
None of them is taking the match as an exhibition, even if it is one for all intents and purposes. “We want to show them what we can do,” Masaba said. “No doubt they are big names but we will not be intimidated.”
Masaba may find himself having to stop Gianluca Zambrotta, the 2006 Italy World Cup-winning fullback who gained a reputation of playing both full back positions with distinction. The ambidextrous Italian, who represented his country 98 times, was famed for superb marking, tenacity and stamina.
He could also hit pile drivers from the distance when he found himself in an inviting position inside the the opposite half.

Zambrotta, who also played Juventus and AC Milan in his heyday, was selected in the 2006 World Cup Team of the Tournament and although 38 today, he remains in top physical condition for defenders.
Today is the El Clasico in Spain with many Ugandans set to tune in to watch world football’s biggest club rivalry.
Puyol, Deco and Zambrotta are veterans of the El Clasico having featured in it a number of times and will represent the finest collection of talent Namboole has ever played host to 17 years after it was opened.
Put simply, December 12 is not a day to miss a showdown that will be more than an exhibition.
It should be the opening of new frontiers in the game.

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