It will come as a surprise to many but Villa Park legend Hakim Magumba has been reinstated into Villa first team by Coach Mike Mutebi. The diminutive midfielder comes in as a January signing along side returnees Bengo Steven, Muganga Ronald and new boys Achema Robert, Musamali Paul, Misi Katende, Kasadha Lawrence and Ssembatya Joseph.
This will cause stirs of excitement among the Villa fans that have always wanted to see their legend still active as a footballer. This is the second time the midfielder is making a return to football after he made a brief
return at the beginning of last year under Serbian tactician Zivjnov but his stint was cut short by an injury sustained in a league match against KCC FC.
However, the short stint he played brought speed and added creativity to a team that was so blunt at the time. His return is expected to bring maturity to the team as Mutebi explained. “Much as he won so much, he still has the hunger to win more for Villa. That is what we want to see all our young players have in terms of drive and character. Besides, he was once the Captain of this team; we need leadership in the squad and that is what Hakim will bring since the players believe in him,” said Mutebi.
Magumba has been working as a team coordinator since the kick off the current campaign and also part of Mike’s coaching staff something the manager thinks will make him a better administrator and coach in future.
The manager said, “We still need to groom future coaches when they are still young and playing, so that by the time they retire, it is easy to usher them into football coaching or administration. Magumba knows that is what Villa is trying to do for him. But in the mean-time, he is going to give the team the true quality of football he has,” the manager concluded.
Magumba confirmed to kawowo sports that he is delighted to be back into playing football for his beloved SC Villa and is looking forward to make a telling contribution to the club’s hunt for glory. “I am looking forward to making a contribution to the team,” an excited Magumba said.
The legend is expected to on the bench when Villa takes on Bidco tomorrow in the opener of round two of the Bell super League. Magumba’s return completes a trio of legends who have back tracked to play for their clubs in the recently concluded January window. Thierry Henry and Paul Scholes also made a u- turn to feature for Arsenal and Manchester united respectively.
