This archive report was first published on 13 December 2019.
Abdallah Hassan, a Bandari FC attacker, has had to be patient to secure his spot in the Harambee Stars team. His perseverance has paid off, as he has scored two goals in the CECAFA Senior Challenge.
After several call-ups without a single cap, Hassan has made the most of his opportunities. He scored the winning goal against Tanzania in the opening match and then came off the bench to score against Sudan in the 2-1 victory on Tuesday.
During a training session in Namugongo, Kampala, Citizen Digital caught up with Hassan, who expressed his satisfaction with his performance. 'I feel good because I had not made the first team before in the national team, but now I have shown within the two matches that I should be there,' he said.
Hassan is now confident in his abilities and is eager to continue performing at the national level. 'I feel I'm ready for the national team duty even in the senior team. Come next year's qualifiers if our coach gives me a chance, I want to do just like I'm doing here in CECAFA,' he charged.
When asked about the team's chances of retaining the title, Hassan remained optimistic. 'We came from Nairobi as the champions, we must go back with the trophy. We want to finish strongly the group stage matches against Zanzibar,' he underscored.
Reflecting on the lost chance to lift the 2019 CECAFA Club Championship with Bandari in Huye, Rwanda, Hassan sees this as a perfect opportunity to lift his maiden trophy outside the country. 'In Rwanda we didn’t manage to go past the quarter finals. Here (Kampala) we are already in the semis and we can smell the trophy. It is a big chance for me and the rest of the team,' he concluded.
