Faith will take Uganda Cranes to Brazil in 2014

I don't know who came up with the "We believe" slogan, but it was great to hear the whole nation sing it resoundingly as an inspired Ugandan Cranes came from a goal down to demolish Angola 2:1 last Saturday. This is what has been missing in the psyche of the nation; self-belief. There is nothing as powerful in the formulae of success as believing. Even Jesus himself said if you believe without doubting, you can order a mountain to be uprooted from its foundations and it would obey.

Emmanuel Okwir scored a splendorous goal against Angola

If the national team can retain that self-assurance, that never-say-die attitude, there is nothing that can stop us from humiliating Senegal on their own turf on our unstoppable journey to Brazil. When doubting Ben heard me say this, he laughed cynically and said, "If the Cranes go to the World Cup in Brazil, I will be president of Uganda 20 years from now!"

But optimists like Bake and Hebert believe it is possible we can go to Brazil and even win the World Cup. "Yes we can and we will," assures Bake, a man of inspiration who sees endless possibilities where others see only impossibilities. This is the kind of optimism we need as a country and as individuals; the conviction that all things are possible; that our past failures should and cannot stop those who believe from reaching for a better now and a golden tomorrow.

When Barack Obama first contested the US presidency, the doubters laughed at the lanky lad's guts. He had seemingly come from nowhere; didn’t have the financial muscle and the Vietnam pedigree of his main opponent. He was also judged by the colour of his skin instead of the content of his character. But nothing was going to stop the Democrat with Kenyan blood coursing through his veins. His unstoppable faith won over the majority that voted him the first African-American president of the most powerful nation on earth.

This is why those who think Uganda cannot go all the way to Brazil or even become the first African soccer side to lift the World Cup in 2014 deserve to be rebuked with this four-word rebuke: "ye of little faith!" The sheer beauty of Emmanuel Okwir's goal; how he curved the ball, catching the goalkeeper right off the palm, shows we have the magic that can upset even the best in world football. The timing is perfect, the belief is feverish and the talent is glistening. Only believe.