Saying 'YES or No' is just what you think. Saying YES is and will be dependant on how the Cranes will fare at their six encounters home and away against Kenya, Angola and Guinea-Bissau.  Again saying NO is still dependant on the local boys' performance.

It's, therefore, performances that will either allow or disallow the Cranes an Africa-Cup-finals ticket at this campaign, which starts tomorrow at Namboole.

In that sense, however, whichever opinions everyone might be having either for or against the team, it's common sense that as Ugandans, we all rally behind the Cranes and support them to qualify.

Thirty-three years of not watching Cranes at the prestigious Africa Cup of nations is not only a long wait but also a big agonizing stretch.

Two consecutive terms in office at Fufa with a preoccupation of investing in the Cranes but failing to qualify is a big disappointment for Fufa boss Lawrence Mulindwa.

Such is just a small picture of how many Ugandans generally bleed at heart and how many wounds Mulindwa has inflicted. This ongoing campaign must therefore be a healer but not an opener for further wounds.

With the Cranes going into yet another qualifying campaign, there should be a general attitude of "Yes, Cranes we can" cutting across ages, sexes, tribes etcetera.

That should be the song regardless of whether you are a fan, a player, an administrator, a sponsor or a well-wisher.
 Of course the question is why Ugandans should continue their support and dedicate their time and monies to where it's not worth?

I don't intend to say that it's been the Cranes' own fault, but at the end of the day it's a game you either lose of win. Again the last two campaigns have taught the Cranes and all the stakeholders lessons from where they could learn something.

It's over a series of six games, but already the stakes are high for the Cranes and this is the time that we, Ugandans, have been waiting for.

Lets the Cranes play their cards right in time and when it still matters.
With the right players in the right position; with the professional coach Bobby Roberts Williamson and with the support of the entire country-Uganda, Angola, Kenya or Guinea-Bissau are not big names in the face of the Cranes.

Mulindwa is not the world's greatest football president, but he has done a strong and solid job with a tenacious yet limited pool of resources from when he took over five years ago. He deserves to hang that official qualifier budge around his neck with fellow football presidents in Africa whose national teams would have qualified for the African soccer show in the 2012 Nations finals co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

A second consecutive Cranes failure to qualify under him (Mulindwa as president) was not and still remains not the ideal way to doubt him, but then the soccer fans should entrust this man another chance and opportunity. His two back-to-back CECAFA wins both for the senior team and the Hippos should not be underestimated.

Mulindwa deserves better than what his critics are saying of him.