It is no longer a secret. Steven Omony will play for City Oilers when the 2017 season gets underway next month.
The national team captain was unveiled to the press at City Oil, Nakawa on Tuesday morning.
With the four time league winners losing Rwandan center Kami Kabange to Rwandan side REG, Omony is set to fill the void left by the reigning league MVP.
The veteran player, who has played basketball since 1997, revealed that it is now time for Oilers and himself to try and have a shot at bigger things.
“Coming to City Oil is an opportunity to further my career,” Omony, who celebrated his 37th birthday last week, said. “They (Oilers) have demonstrated the ability to maintain success and it’s an opportunity for me to contribute to the goals of this ambitious club,” he added.
In their six years of existence, City Oilers have already won four league titles and, with the signing of Omony, are now favourites to set the pace in the coming season.
Omony joins a team with players with success written all over them and with his experience and leadership, it will take a lot to stop Oilers.
In current and former Zone V MVPs Jimmy Enabu and Landry Ndikumana and former league MVP Ben Komakech, Oilers have the arsenal required to deal with any team not only in Uganda but in the region.
Head coach Mandy Juruni believes that Omony’s consistence will be key if Oilers are to keep their dominance in the local league, the zone and on the continent.
While Omony is not the exact replacement for Kabange in terms of positioning, his ability to score from anywhere on the floor will ensure the side doesn’t miss Kabange’s numbers.
Oilers will now look to add more size to their front court to avoid match-up problems with former UCU Canons forward Joseph Chuma reported to be close to joining the 5-peat chasing side.
Discipline and hard work for the last 20 years, Omony has played basketball at the top level and he believes it is because of his discipline and hard work that he has been able to stay in shape.
With KIU Titans making some changes before the start of the season and Warriors adding some new faces, Juruni expects to see a competitive season.
Warriors have reportedly added former Falcons star Mike Bazangu and are chasing more players to help them compete next season.
Even before the season starts, Oilers will be the team to beat and it may take more than hard work for the challengers to keep up.