"We Have Been Here Before": 1978 Legend Polly Ouma Rallies Behind Allan Okello

Drawing parallels to the 1978 campaign, Polly Ouma reminds the nation that resilience, not perfection, defines a champion.

Kampala – Following the tense draw against Tanzania in the TotalEnergies AFCON 2025, where Uganda Cranes playmaker Allan Okello saw his penalty kick miss, the Former Footballers Initiative (FFI) has moved swiftly to shield the player and rally the squad.

A Voice of Experience: Captain Polly Ouma
Speaking on behalf of the veterans, Captain Polly Ouma, a serving member of the FFI Executive Committee and a protagonist of the glorious 1978 AFCON Final squad, offered a powerful historical perspective.

"I was there in Kumasi," Ouma recalled. "In the semi-final against the mighty Nigeria, our greatest player, the late Phillip Omondi, stepped up to take a crucial kick. He missed. The stadium went silent."

Ouma continued, "If we had turned on Omondi then, we would never have reached the Final. Instead, we lifted him up. He went on to play a magnificent game, and we won 2-1. I want to tell Allan: You are walking in the footsteps of giants. A miss does not define you; your reaction to it does."

A Call to the Fans

The Ouma observes that unlike in 1978, today’s players face the added pressure of social media. We urge the Ugandan football fraternity to use these platforms to build, not destroy.

"We played for the flag with our hearts," Ouma concluded. "I see that same heart in this boy. Let us allow him to get his head up and play."

We move forward together.