People are already used to football producing some unbelievable stories. However, some of them seem so uncanny that one can hardly believe something like that is possible.For instance, two brothers born in Scotland are on the verge of representing Uganda at international level.
The initial reaction would be: What?! And it’s understandable, but this seemingly unbelievable story is actually about to become reality, believe it or not.Meet Olly and Seb Fisher, Scottish teenagers playing for Partick Thistle, who are set to make their Uganda U20 and U17 debuts!Brothers Ollie and Seb Fisher have received call-ups to represent Uganda’s U20 and U17 national youth teams respectively.The duo, who are part of the Partick Thistle Academy setup in Scotland, are reported to have Ugandan roots.
The 18-year-old goalkeeper, Olly, explained it in an interview with BBC Sport Scotland.”My gran and grandad lived out here for, I think, four or five years. My grandfather came out here to teach in a school then my mum was born here. So, it’s a bit of a strange one.”The call-up came as a shock to the two, as well as to their mother, Kate, who was thrilled that her boys had been given such an opportunity.
“I couldn’t believe it. It’s one of those things you look at and you’re shocked. You can’t believe it. Most other people couldn’t as well,” said the 16-year-old striker Seb, while Olly added:”A real mixture of emotions. I was quite shocked. I didn’t really think that this was a possibility but I was honoured to be asked to represent Uganda. I thought it was a real big opportunity.”Apart from their link with Uganda through mom’s birthplace, there was another important factor that brought the brothers closer to making their Cranes debuts – the Uganda U20 national team head coach Laryea Kingston, a former Ghana international, who spent three seasons at the Scottish side Hearts during his playing days.
The 45-year-old made the two that realise they were on the brink of making history.”Coach Kingston was saying we’d be the first white boys to play for Uganda, which would be history in the making. It is very special,” Seb said, while Olly agreed with him.”It’s never been done before, so definitely it is very special.”
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The two youngsters have already attended training camps with Uganda and have been thrilled by the welcome they received from their future teammates.”Everyone has been brilliant, welcoming, really great. The other boys have been brand new with us. Some of the boys actually come from the same area where my mum was born. So, they were all talking about that,” Seb revealed.’
Africa has the right to host a World Cup final’Finally, the duo’s plans are clear. While Olly hopes to make Uganda’s squad for the U20 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, Seb has his sights set on the upcoming U17 FIFA World Cup, to be held in Qatar in November.”That’s what you want as a footballer, being in an international environment. It makes you a better player and hopefully it does for the two of us, and I think it will, and benefit us very much going back to Scotland playing at Thistle,” Seb concluded.