Hassan Wasswa has lifted lid on a couple of pressing issues after announcing his retirement.
The former Cranes deputy captain officially retired from national team football on Friday after a thirteen-year spell.
Wasswa has been one of the most vocal players who have reminded President Museveni to honour his USD1M pledge to the players who took part in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
While speaking to KFM on Saturday, Wasswa branded Museveni and his government as “liars” after failing to fulfill their promises on various occasions.
“This is our government, they have promised us many things and they lie a lot. We are used to our government. Life moves on. He (Museveni) promises many things but does not full fill. We need to go and do our own money, the promise has been here for two years and we need to move on,” Wasswa stated.
“There are many mafias in the game like Tamale Mirundi always say, and my hope that we will get that pledge is at one, on a scale of 1-10.”
Recently, retired attacking midfielder Mike Mutyaba came out to blame the Federation for failing to pay Cranes player including the CHAN team. He was beaten on Friday and still behind bars by press time.
Commenting on the Mutyaba issue, Wasswa said: “I don’t know whether he (Mutyaba) is talking about Senior national team players or CHAN Players. I don’t have any clue about that, if he has any evidence about non payments, its something the Federation should look into. I am with Mutyaba on this and its not good to disrepect such a former national team player, they should sit on the round table with FUFA and see how to go about it.”
This week, FUFA boss Moses Magogo came out and claimed that CHAN players have no right to demand for money after playing “shitty football.” His comments have since garnered negative reviews.
“Ugandans have a tendency of running out of situations. You know when things are moving badly, they shift blame elsewhere, so, Magogo came out and told people they played shitty football but he is the very person who appointed the technical team that summoned the players who played shitty football.
“I think Magogo should look into what he said and apologise. The Players give 100% to the nation, its a heavy jersey to put on. They leave their families back home to represent their country. When you talk about money, they brand you a bad person.”
Wasswa leaves the Cranes after 76 appearance and has played at two Africa Cup of Nations – 2017 and 2019.
He has named Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredejovic and the best coach he has played under during his spell on the National team.
“Micho taught me to be the person I am today, he always pushed me, he understood Ugandan players better than anyone else. He is one of the best coaches. He was aware of my physique and could deploy me anywhere. He could tell me to go and give them hell and die for my country,” Wasswa commented.
The Midfielder cum defender named captain Denis Onyango as the best player he has ever played with on the National team.
He explained: “He is very exceptional, a leader. So humble off the field but Onyango will shout at you on the field because he wants the team to win.”
He pointed out the game against Kenya in Namboole in 2011 where the team missed out on a place to qualify for 2012 AFCON – Uganda, needing a win, were held at home in a goalless draw against bitter rivals.
“That game against Kenya in Namboole, it was the last one for Bobby Williamson. I felt very sad, I was on the bench and couldn’t do anything about the final result. Its one game I cannot forget.”
Wasswa also had time to break silence on the infamous strike by the Cranes players during the 2019 AFCON in Egypt.
He elaborated: “We signed a code of conduct, where by when we win a game we have to get paid. So, we qualified into the last 16 and this money was supposed to be paid the following day. Because we had a meeting when we played Egypt, we told the President (Magogo) that we want the money to be paid on our accounts before we played Senegal. He said no problem, you will get the money.
“We reached the game, we called him. We told him that we need the money. We knew the Federation that if we reach to Kampala, that money was not going to be paid. we sat out, we decided not to play football with uncomfortable minds.
“But he branded us bad players. We told him that we are not going to play until our money is on our accounts. Not until Thursday, we were playing on Friday when money came in. We went to training at 10pm that very night.”
Wasswa said that he will be playing for an unnamed club for the next two years before joining adminstration.
