Brian Bwire: The gaffe against Uganda, cyberbullying and dreams of a return to the national team
![Brian Bwire: The gaffe against Uganda, cyberbullying and dreams of a return to the national team Brian Bwire: The gaffe against Uganda, cyberbullying and dreams of a return to the national team](https://citizentv.obs.af-south-1.myhuaweicloud.com/126262/conversions/280108587_420754113195282_9164292824918783047_n-og_image.webp)
FKF-Premier
League side Tusker custodian Brian Bwire, says he is ready for Harambee Stars
recall almost three years after his howler against Uganda in a 2022 World Cup
qualifier in November 2021 saw him drop out of the national set up.
Stars were leading 1-0
with a minute to go courtesy Michael Olunga’s headed goal in the 62nd minute at
St. Mary’s Stadium in Kitende, Uganda.
In the build-up to the
match, Kenya had registered two draws and two losses in the opening four Group
E games, and head coach Engin Firat thought he was headed for a first win with
Kenya.
In a surprising turn
of events in the 89th minute, an innocuous ball landed in Kenya’s box and in
the typical time-wasting act by goalkeepers, the custodian goalkeeper brought
the ball down after a chested control, turned to his right, aiming to pick it
up before Uganda’s Fahad Bayo closed him down and scored an equalizer.
His effort to cry for
a foul did not bear fruits.
Bwire says he almost
quit football after he was subjected to online trolls and claims of being a
"match fixer".
According to the
former Kariobangi Sharks shot-stopper, it is a situation he would hate to
experience again in his career.
"While we were
still in Uganda, preparing to come home, i saw attacks from fans on social media
platforms calling me a match fixer.
“This broke my heart
so much. It was painful."
“It is the worst
moment I have ever been through my whole career thus far.
“It dragged me to my
lowest and to a point that giving up football was all that was on my mind,”
said a dejected Bwire.
The 23-year-old says
after being turned into a punching bag, it took the hand of former Harambee
Stars skipper Victor Wanyama and experienced former Kenyan international
goalkeeper Arnold Origi to help him fully recover from the ordeal.
“Victor Wanyama
reached out to me first, afterwards was Arnold Origi.
“Their encouragement
is what helped me during the time. They called me and talked to me about the
situation.
“I am really grateful
to them as well as some of my family members,” the player revealed.
Since then, Bwire has
not donned the National team colors, and the closest he has ever been to the
Stars squad was when he was named in the Four-Nations provisional squad but was
later dropped, with Firat opting for Byrne Omondi, Patrick Matasi and Ian
Otieno.
"Almost three
years later, i am now okay and ready to get back to playing for the national
team.
“I have learned in a
hard way and if given an opportunity, i would not repeat the same mistake",
he told Citizen Digital.
Bwire, who would be a
model on the other side of life, is grateful to his coach, Robert 'Lion' Matano
for having faith in him for the last two seasons.
"That time, i was
playing second fiddle to Rwandan import Emery Mvuyekure, later Matasi (Patrick)
took over.
“Playing regularly for
Tusker in the last two seasons has helped me earn more experience and work
on my confidence that had faded away after Uganda snafu," he underscored.
With the 2023/2024
Premier League title going to Gor Mahia, Bwire says they are targeting to win
the remaining three matches to nail their runners-up position, adding that he
is aiming to win the golden glove coming next.
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