BY ANDREW COHEN AMVESI
ARUA. The long-awaited Federation of Uganda Football Association (FUFA) Drum tournament returns today with the West Nile side taking on Karamoja Leopards at Greenlight stadium in Arua.
This is the fifth meeting between the two sides with West Nile winning three of the games while Karamoja only managed to secure a draw.
However, today’s game is not yet predictable since both teams expressed a high level of preparedness.
But during a pre-match press conference held at Hill Top Hotel in Arua town on Thursday, Amos Okoboi, the Karamoja team head coach said they have come for the game as underdogs, but determined to beat the White Rhinos.
“What I want to tell people out there is, this time Karamoja is a new Karamoja and I have come as an underdog who is ready to overtake the bull, and that is what I need to inform the people of West Nile. Don’t think you are going to take it as easy as mentioned,” Okoboi warned.
“We have come here knowing your games, we know who plays where. We have some of the players who are quiet here and by the way, we don’t play names. I have seen many failing to score, but for us we have come here to say let us go and display what we learnt. We go and display what we call the skill, the tactics and all what we have taught our players, so this time we are showing you that Karamoja is more talented than ever,” Okoboi added.
Okoboi said all along, Karamoja has been playing without a head coach and tacticians which is not the case now.
“This time we have a head coach and tacticians in the team and that means improved talent because there are many talented people outside there. So, we have looked at the mental aspect, the physical, psychological and many others in preparation. I think the team is well composed to take over,” Okoboi said.
Similarly, Bosco Dudu, the head coach of West Nile team said he has prepared his team in four aspects; technical, tactical, physical and psychological to get the much-needed points from Karamoja.
“I want to say for team West Nile we have covered all the four aspects of our preparation. The team is a mix of experienced players and young talented players. The game of football is not a game of talking. For us as coaches our talking is done on the pitch,” Dudu said.
He, however, never ruled out the potential of Karamoja in this upcoming game, saying the team has always given his side tough times on the pitch.
“With due respect, Karamoja has always got very talented players. They have always challenged us but the difference comes in terms of scoring goals. Possession wise sometimes they challenge us a bit but the gift West Nile has is in the strikers. Remember we are a region where almost the top scorers are coming from here. So, if you look at West Nile, it is a region that is gifted in terms of strikers and that is the difference between us and Karamoja,” Dudu stressed.
Oscar Onyango, the head of West Nile fans said they are expecting about 40,000 fans to turn up for the game that will kick off at 3:00pm (EAT).
He noted that all has been done in terms of mobilization to ensure that fans turn up in big numbers to cheer the West Nile side.
 Drum tournament returns today with the West Nile side taking on Karamoja..){kind=link}