Bobby Williamson working wonders as Uganda eye promised land

The former Kilmarnock, Hibernian and Plymouth manager, 49, has quietly developed into one of the top coaches in Africa since taking the post two years ago, having improved the team's FIFA ranking and secured qualification for the 2011 CHAN championship - a continental tournament for non-professional African players.

At Nakivubo stadium in Kampala in the sweltering midday heat, Uganda have been training hard under Williamson's watchful eye for the pivotal clash in Kenya.

Immersed in the task ahead, Williamson has barely had time to watch Scotland's Euro 2012 qualifiers. But on Craig Levein's chances of beating the world champions Spain on Tuesday, he says: "Everybody has got a chance. In the last Euro qualifiers, Scotland were pitted against, and beat France. Scotland can do well against Spain."

He also looks out for the club scores in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League. "To be honest, I don't see a lot of Scottish football," he says. "I am too focused on what I am trying to achieve here. Scottish football does not get much coverage in Uganda and its mostly English Premiership. But I go on the internet and check how teams are performing. Also, people will text me when it's a shock result. Obviously I want to see my friends and my mates' teams do well. I've got friends in clubs like Walter Smith, Craig Brown, and I speak to Jim Jefferies on a regular basis because David (Obua] is there."

In training, the players follow the instructions Williamson delivers in his broad Glaswegian accent. Uganda fans comment that they find difficulty understanding him and compare his accent to Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

"Well, we are both from Glasgow. Scottish people wherever they go don't lose that," he explains. "They say that they cannot understand Ferguson and they cannot understand me. But, when I fail to get a point across to the players, I tell one of my assistants, Moses. A couple of the players are not very good in English."

After two years in tropical Africa he has learnt to navigate through the chaotic and dusty Kampala streets with ease. The country has one of the highest accident rates in the world and a year ago he rammed into a stationary truck on the motorway at night.

"I am a lot more careful than I was. When you drive at night, you don't expect a lorry to be parked in the middle of the road with no lights on. By the time I realised, it was too late. I managed to come over it but the car was damaged badly." Some of the Kampala Streets bear Scottish names such as Mackinnon. "It shows that Scots have been here for a long time and have developed Uganda," he says. But the tarmac roads are in a poor state with potholes and he wishes more of Scottish road engineer John McAdam's influence had come, too.

He misses his family in Glasgow. "I email my daughter. My son has been here but my wife works and my daughter has a young baby," he says.

He also misses Scottish food, but has adjusted and enjoys Italian and French as well as local dishes. "I also try to watch as much football as possible. If there is no local league match, I will go and watch English Premiership," he says. "I get to know the fans better and they get to know me and how passionate I am about football. I never get bored. I read books and watch movies. DVDs are cheap here. I have watched movies, too many to mention. But my DVD player is kaput at the moment."

At Kisementi, the suburb where he hangs out when he is not busy, he has distributed some Celtic jerseys to youths. The jerseys were delivered by a friend from Scotland. At the pub, a waitress who serves him a coke inquires, "How was the training today coach?"

Williamson says: "It is good the fans socialise and can hear from me instead of reading in the newspapers. It lets me know that Ugandans are passionate about their country.

"My sole concern is doing well here in Uganda for the people who are paying my wages. I enjoy being here and hope it continues for a long time."

With the poor standards of living in Uganda and no money invested in football, the facilities are minimal. But Williamson adds: "What endears me to Uganda is that the people don't complain. They are always very happy and have always been fantastic. The fans here are very passionate. People keep telling me ‘well done' and ‘thanks for the job you are doing.' This makes me work harder."

They will be thanking him for the rest of his life if he can lead them to the promised land of the Africa Cup of Nations finals in 2012.