The phrase “nobody wake us up, please” was a famous quote by Claudio Ranieri during Leicester City’s improbable 2015-16 Premier League title win.
Ranieri used the phrase to describe the team’s incredible form, which felt like a dream, and his desire for the fans to continue enjoying the experience without the pressure of reality.
After Leicester beat Everton and lifted the trophy, he told fans to “keep dreaming, why wake up?” Juxtapose that scenario from nine years ago with the present day!
Back in April, it was almost enough for the Uganda Cubs to celebrate reaching the Fifa U-17 World Cup for the very first time, winning the qualifying playoff against The Gambia 2-1.
Enjoy the moment
When the moment to rub shoulders with the elite arrived this month, many would have just loved for Uganda to compete and enjoy the moment.
In fact, some could only demand that Uganda makes a habit of qualifying for the World Cup, after all it’s now annual and 48 teams-heavy, up from 24 for the previous nine editions.
It was even much smaller before that, going back to 1985, or even 1977 when this tournament was inaugurated as the Lion City Cup in Singapore.
With every result, the Cubs have shown that they belong here and there is no better way to show it than against Burkina Faso in the round of 16 on Tuesday. The enjoyment phase must be long gone.
Victory here will put coach Brian Ssenyondo among the best eight sides in this age group. Definitely, the pressure is going to go up a notch. How do you deal with it?
First, they must fill the void left by talisman James Bogere. He is suspended after receiving a yellow card in the 1-0 victory over Senegal in the round of 32 on Saturday.
Margins
It is also evident that the margins have narrowed for this team who came through a tight group K with a loss to Canada (1-2), a -1all draw against Chile and a 1-0 victory against 2001 champions France.
Just to emphasize how razor thin the margins might be, goalkeeper Edrisah Waibi had to deliver a performance for the ages to knock out the Young Lions of Teranga.
‘I am proud of my goalkeeper Edrissa. He kept us in the game in those first thirty minutes. When everyone is beaten, you need your keeper to stand big in the goal. The small man today stood big in the goal,’ Ssenyondo said.
Now, Ssenyondo needs to spread his options without Bogere. Derrick Ssozi is one having come off the bench to get the leveler against the gritty South Americans to keep Uganda in the tournament.
‘It’s a knockout stage,’ Ssenyondo noted. ‘Like we played France, two different games but almost of the same kind of magnitude because against France it was a knockout game as well, if you won, you stayed, if you did not win, your home. I believe we know what is at stake – that we need to win to progress – no other chance, and I am certain we shall present ourselves very well.’
Depth
Uganda’s squad depth will be tested after four games in under 10 days. Back to the top. Ironically, Ranieri himself was known for using a different “wake up” call during training sessions.
When players were not paying full attention, he would ring an imaginary bell and say, “Dilly-ding, dilly-dong, wake up, wake up!”
This catchphrase became famous and he even bought the players and staff a small bell for Christmas as a joke. Ssenyondo, known for rings on several of his fingers, does not need a bell.