If you’re a local football fan and the name Gaddafi Gadinho sounds outlandish to you, you’re wasting your time and energy following the game. Floorball, a recently introduced sport in the country could use your espouse as it tries to gain ground in the country.
Gaddafi, 21, has been a revelation in the Uganda Premier League. Particularly admired for his artistic nature of play, the thickset midfielder is a kind you’ll desire to watch time and again because of his rapport with the ball.
You will be hard-pressed to find five creative midfielders in the local league currently better than Onduparaka’s shirt seven. From picking the right pass at the right time to hornswoggling his opponents, Gaddafi is a kind that gets you nostalgic.
A very quick thinker, he times the runs of his teammates and easily picks them up with his precise passes. Not only is he good at pinpoint passing, he is also always happy to run at the opponent while hoodwinking them.
Need I mention his modus operandi of taking free kicks? He’s one of a kind.
Teammate Shaban Mohammed notched thirteen strikes in the league, eight fewer than the league’s top scorer Geoffrey Ssenrunkuma, but Gaddafi stood out and that was manifested in the fans’ choice for the player of the season.
Onduparaka fans voted the stylish midfielder as their player of the season 2016/17. Gaddafi prevailed over his team captain and another amazing youngster Livin ‘Messi’ Kabong plus striker Ceaser Okhuti to cap off the campaign in style.
Thanks to his nine goals and 8 assists, he garnered 44.12% of the votes as compared to Shaban’s 38.24%.
“I want to thank God and all the fans of Onduparaka FC for voting me as their player of the season. I’m so happy for this and it means a lot to me. I think I had a very good season and this is a reward for the hard work,” said the father of one before dedicating the award that he will later receive to his wife and son Ibra plus the ‘beloved’ fans.
His majestic strike against JMC Hippos in their one-all draw at Kakindu Stadium was voted the Goal of the Season by the club faithful, beating competition from Shaban’s super strike against SC Villa and Rashid Agau’s beautiful goal in the Uganda Cup against Water FC.
Gaddafi has relished his campaign with Onduparaka, but according to him two games rate as his best the past season.
“My best moment was against Gor Mahia and Police FC at Lugogo. For me, those two games were my best of the season. One was an international friendly. I love playing with experienced and mature players. I like to learn from these experienced players and that day I learnt a lot.
“The game against Police was our best away game in the second round. I loved the way we played and my performance was really good that day as well as my teammates’. That’s why I pick those two games as my best.”