More than five years after their last appearance on the international stage, the Uganda Volleyball Cranes finally returned to action, offering a glimpse of a promising future while also exposing the challenges that lie ahead.Competing at the CAVB Zone V Nations Championship Qualifiers in Kampala, Uganda won three of their four matches but narrowly missed out on automatic qualification for the African Nations Championship.While the disappointment of falling short on home soil was evident, the tournament represented an important first step in rebuilding a national team program that had been inactive for years.Under the guidance of coach Shilla Omuriwe Buyungo, the Cranes displayed encouraging signs throughout the competition.Players such as Duke Kyomukama, Owen Omoding, Willington Talemwa, Mohammed Iga and John Bosco Opila demonstrated the depth of talent available to Uganda, reinforcing the belief that the country possesses the quality required to compete at the highest level in Africa.Uganda opened the tournament with convincing victories over Burundi and South Sudan before suffering a straight-sets defeat to regional powerhouse Kenya.The loss proved costly and despite ending their campaign with a comfortable win over Tanzania, the Cranes were unable to secure the qualification spot they had targeted.The qualifiers marked Uganda’s first international matches since the 2021 African Nations Volleyball Championship in Kigali, Rwanda, where the team produced one of its finest continental performances by finishing fifth.That achievement remains Uganda’s best result in recent years and serves as a reminder of what is possible when the national team is adequately prepared and consistently active.Building on a long-awaited returnYears without international competition inevitably denied Uganda valuable exposure and opportunities for growth.As a result, the Kampala qualifiers served not only as a qualification campaign but also as an assessment of where the national team currently stands against its regional rivals.The victories over Burundi and South Sudan highlighted several positives. Uganda showed attacking power, composure in key moments and the ability to dictate play.However, the tournament also exposed areas that require improvement. During the victory over South Sudan, the Cranes struggled to close out sets despite holding commanding leads, an issue that pointed to lapses in concentration and game management.Those shortcomings became even more apparent against Kenya.Although Uganda competed well and pushed the East African giants in the second and third sets, Kenya’s superior organisation, consistency and experience ultimately made the difference.The defeat served as a useful benchmark for a team still finding its feet after years away from international competition.Continuity remains priorityFor coach Omuriwe, the most important objective moving forward is ensuring continuity.Rather than assembling a squad only when major tournaments arise, the tactician wants the national team program to remain active throughout the year, allowing players to develop familiarity with the tactical systems and build stronger chemistry.’For me as a coach, what I look at is, how do we get that continuity. We cannot do one championship and then we are done,’ Omuriwe told Daily Monitor.’We have to make sure we continue engaging the boys. There are certain systems I would want them to run as a national team, offensively and defensively.’The return to international volleyball also provided an opportunity to blend experience with youth.Senior players including team captain George Aporu, Daudi Okello, Smith Okumu, Bernard Malinga, Emmanuel Elanyu and Gideon Angiro played an important role in guiding the newer members of the squad through their first taste of international competition.Having formed part of the core group that achieved the fifth-place finish in Kigali in 2021, Aporu, Okello and Okumu were now called upon to provide leadership and stability off the bench whenever required.
Chasing the Kigali standardUganda’s fifth-place finish at the 2021 African Nations Championship remains the benchmark against which future performances will be measured.It proved that the Volleyball Cranes are capable of competing beyond the regional stage and challenging some of the continent’s strongest teams when properly prepared.The task now must be to transform that achievement from an isolated success into a consistent standard.Missing the 2023 African Championship in Egypt ultimately forced Uganda into the qualification route this year.The top nine teams from the previous edition received automatic qualification, while unranked nations were required to compete through their respective zonal qualifiers.That reality made the Kampala tournament particularly important, but it also highlighted the consequences of prolonged inactivity on the international scene.Despite the disappointment of failing to secure qualification, there is a broader perspective to consider.After more than five years on the sidelines, the Volleyball Cranes are finally back in international competition. The challenge now is not simply to return, but to remain active, continue developing and build a pathway back to the heights reached in Kigali.The qualifiers may not have delivered the desired ending, but they provided something equally important: a foundation.If Uganda can maintain continuity, nurture its emerging talent and secure regular international exposure, the Volleyball Cranes will be well placed to turn their long-awaited return into the beginning of a sustained resurgence.CAVB Zone V Nations Championship QualifiersUgandaRecord: 3-1Position: Second