On Wednesday June 17, 2015 at around 3pm (local time), it was confirmed that Abdallah Mubiru was no longer coach at KCC FC.
This followed a closed door meeting with authorities led by Club Chairman, Julius Kabugo and the two parties agreed mutually to end their contractual obligation.
Forget finishing third in the league or losing in the finals of Uganda Cup, this decision was reached ages ago and it became evident when Sam Ssimbwa lost his job at SC Villa after the restart of the second round.
Speaking to Kawowo Sports in the aftermath of the meeting, Mubiru said he leaves a contented man.
I have played my part and leave with a contented heart. For the sober, my works are easily visible. But that’s the nature of our job. There is that time you have to leave the club.
Mubiru wished the incoming technical team success and thanked the club management, players and supportive fans for the time at the club.
It was a great honour managing the club in the head coaching capacity. To the management, players and fans, it’s been a pleasure working with you. To the incoming technical staff, all the best.
Why Mubiru should leave a contented man?
He may not have won a trophy at the club in his heading coach capacity but guiding the club to third on the league table and finishing as losing finalists in the Uganda Cup is no mean feat given the circumstances.
It was always going to be difficult for KCC FC to retain the league for a third time in a row after the loss of Brian Majwega and Brian Umony in the January window.
The duo was KCC FC’s best players in the first round of the league. Then add defender Richard Kasagga plus injuries to key players like Ronnie Kisekka.
True the club tried to fill the void left by the departures but Francis Olaki (played only three games for the club), Savio Kabugo is yet to even train while it took months for Baker Lukooya to make his debut thanks to the sagas insinuated by Kira Young, his former employers.
Against all this, the team put up a title challenge that they only lost a few games to end the season.
Besides, they lasted all the distance to reach the Uganda Cup final playing all their games away from home bar the two legged semi-final against Lweza FC.
The road to the finals included beating former Cup holders URA 2-1 away in Lugazi at the round of 32.
And I guess if there was a fair ground in the Cup finals, who knows?
On top of that performance, like it or not, Mubiru instilled discipline at the club. During his days as coach, players arrived on time in time unlike before. The past incidents of player power at the club were not heard of during his time and for those who closely followed proceedings at the club, it was a family.
And finally, he has set up a youthful team at the club that if kept will compete favorably in the coming seasons.
Not so many clubs have genuinely young players as KCC FC thanks to Mubiru’s trust in youth and not recycling.
In Timothy Awani, Paul Mucureezi, Derrick Nsibambi, Yasin Mugume, Baker Lukooya, Martin Kizza, Joseph Ochaya, Isaac Ntege, Tom Masiko and Francis Olaki among others, the club has the future in present thanks to Mubiru’s trust.
In fact the incoming technical staff has where to start from and for that, Mubiru should leave the club with head high. He has truly left a mark that not so many Ugandan coaches do.
And to the management, hope the new staff is given what Mubiru has been denied… Time!
