#boycottugandacranes: Bobi wine comes to the defense of Cranes
Ugandan MP Bobi Wine has defended the country’s national football team amid growing wave for a national boycott of its African Cup of Nations qualifier match.
The proposed boycott has been trending on social media through the hashtag #boycottugandacranes after authorities cancelled Bobi Wine’s music concert at Mandela National Stadium in Namboole.
Bobi added his voice to the hashtag by pleading with Ugandans not to blame the team for his concert’s cancellation.
The MP was set to hold the concert on October 20 but it was cancelled and he was advised by the stadium’s management to pick a different date.
Bobi’s team settled for November 9, and despite signing an agreement on the new date, the stadium’s management changed tune by claiming the venue was under observation as a possible match location for another round of Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The stadium’s management to disallow Bobi’s concert angered his fans.
The musician has however urged Ugandans not to blame the national team players for the stadium management’s decision and instead keep supporting the team in its group matches.
“I don’t agree with the hashtag #boycottugandacranes which is trending as a result of the Kyarenga concert cancelation by Namboole. The Uganda cranes is our national team in which we should take pride. All these young men need is love and support not condemnation.
“These young men [@UgandaCranes], just like most of us work hard to raise our flag high, using their talent even when they are insufficiently facilitated. If musical talent is being suffocated, let’s not take all the other talent down the drain,” he wrote.
The Cranes are set to play Cape Verde on November 17.