Ugandan footballer signs for Scottish side following coach
22/7/2008 17:22
Ugandan footballer David Obua has completed a four-year-contract dream
career move to the Edinburgh-based Hearts subject to final medical tests and the
issue of a work permit.
The Uganda Cranes star believes the Scottish side
will reap the benefits of his development as a footballer since working with the
club's boss Laszlo Csaba, who was the former head coach of Uganda's national
football team.
"It was a good deal for me and the only thing left for me is
to perform. Working with Csaba has of course made me a better player and
hopefully the club will benefit from that," Obua was quoted by New Vision
yesterday as saying.
Obua is currently in Germany with the Hearts for a
ten-day pre-season tour. He was expected to bond with the rest of the team
during the club's first session early this week before making his first
appearance in the first friendly against Rheingau Select tomorrow.
His
second appearance will come against Kaiserslautern in Marburg on Friday before
engaging SV Wiesbaden on July 29.
The former Kaizer Chiefs winger's arrival
at Hearts re-initiates a marriage of sorts that Csaba and the Cranes star took
pleasure in since the Hungarian assumed the Cranes coaching seat in
2006.
Aside from hailing Obua as arguably the best left-footed midfielder he
has ever worked with, Csaba stuck with an unfit Obua in the decisive 2008
African Nations Cup qualifier against Niger in September last year.
He defied
the odds and fielded the lanky midfielder in that fateful match despite Obua
making the fixture without playing a single game in over three months due to
injury. "I know what he can do and what he can't do," Laszlo stated
then.
However, despite the pair's past trust, Obua is under no illusions
about the new fight to claim a first team place.
Obua becomes the latest
Ugandan to turn out for a top European club after Ibrahim Sekagya (Austria),
Mike Sserumaga, Abubaker Tabula (both Sweden), Nestroy Kizito, Eugene Sepuya
(both Serbia) Noah Kasule (Armenia), Andrew Mwesigwa, Augustine Nsumba (both
Iceland), the late Majid Musisi (France) and Livingstone Mbabazi
(Ireland).
Obua has turned out for Ugandan sides Police and Express FC, and
had a three-year spell in the United States. He later joined Mauritian club AS
Port-Louis 2000 before his transfer to South African side Kaizer
Chiefs.
Obua's move is predicted to offer a breakthrough for several other
Ugandan players. Hassan Wasswa is reported to be Csaba's other
target.
Xinhua
|
