It’s never an easy job picking the best team over a week, month or a season and it’s tougher when the selection has to be over ten years.
And in Uganda’s case, it’s even a more difficult job given the inconsistency and unending transfer of players from the league and then after a brief spell, they are back.
With 2020 approaching, our own Ismael Kiyonga has decided to pick out the best players to have graced the Uganda Premier League over the past 10 years in their respective positions and here is what he has come up with.
Benjamin Ochan (GK): The goalie has had stints at SC Villa, KCCA, SC Victoria University over that period and hasn’t disappointed.
Ochan was a key pillar in that SC Victoria University side that nearly won the league and also helped KCCA to a couple of trophies including their first double in history.
Under Mike Mutebi at Lugogo, he also redefined the role with keeper sweeper role and with him in goal, KCCA dominated the decade.
His form spread to the continent where he helped the team qualify for the group stages of the Caf Confederation Cup for the first time and kept goal for local based Cranes in Chan.
Nicholas Wadada (RB): He made the right back position his own since the retirement of Simeon Masaba featuring almost in all games for Vipers between 2013 and 2018.
At one point, he was the only local based player with a starting berth on the national team until he switched to Azam in 2018.
His position had the easiest choice on my team and that says it all although Sakka Mpiima also had a shout out.
Isaac Muleme (LB): Currently plying his trade in Croatia, Muleme has featured for SC Villa, SC Victoria University and KCCA between 2009 until he left for greener pastures later in 2017.
Joseph Ochaya comes a little close to Muleme’s consistency but he was in and out of UPL with stint in Ghana and later DR Congo.
Timothy Awany (CB): Nicknamed Latigo by the KCCA faithful, Awany takes a slot at centre back for a whole five years of consistency since he made his debut in 2014 right from Kibuli SS.
At just 23, Awany won all there is to win on the local scene with KCCA.
What really makes Awany stand out, though, is not his trophy collection but the elegance and composure with which he goes about his business, consistently nullifying the best attackers in the league with the minimum of fuss or without having to resort to cynical fouls.
A class act, in every sense and it’s no surprise that he has started his career in Israel on a brighter note.
Halid Lwaliwa (CB): Lwaliwa has had injury issues in the recent seasons but there has been no more influential defender in the league over the past decade.
Wherever he has been fit, he has made the UPL team of the year and ended the decade on a good note skippering the Cranes to Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup.
Isaac Kirabira (CM): An unsung hero, perhaps because he keeps a low profile off the pitch but Kirabira is a special talent, the fulcrum of the SC Villa side that won the Uganda Cup in 2015 as well one for the dominant KCCA in recent years.
Mike Mutebi once described him as the most intelligent player in the league and unlike many; he has spent the whole decade home playing SC Villa, The Saints, KCCA and now Kyetume.
And wherever he has been, he has been the first name on the team sheet for all coaches.
Muzamiru Mutyaba (CM): Another unsung hero in my team comes in Mutyaba.
Mutyaba is one of the most successful players in the league today and yet remains one of its most underrated perhaps because of his demeanour.
He has played for Maroons, SC Victoria University and KCCA in the past ten years winning silverware for the latter two and also impressing on the continent.
Shockingly, he remains on the fringes of the national team until now but has played at Chan 2016 and 2018.
Erisa Ssekisambu (RW): Started the decade at SC Villa and ended it at KCCA. Ssekisambu stands out as the most hard working in the team and has won trophies wherever he has played.
The forward has scored crucial goals for the big sides has featured for at Villa, Express and Vipers helping them win trophies and remains the only player to have won most Uganda Cup medals with most teams.
Brian Majwega (LW): Save for a brief stint at Tanzania’s Azam, the left footed attacking midfielder has played almost the entire decade in the domestic league.
Quick and skilled with a ball at his feet, Majwega has enjoyed stints at KCCA, URA and Maroons in that period and also featured for the national team, the Cranes as one of the domestic players with commanding positions especially under Micho.
Robert Ssentongo (FWD): Could be one of the easiest decisions to make.
Ssentongo has won three golden boots in the past decade and also won league titles and individual accolades.
In that period, he has played for KCCA, URA and now plies his trade with newly promoted Kyetume FC.
Herman Wasswa (FWD): One golden boot in the era but one of the few centre forwards with most league goals in past decade.
He started his career at Masaka LC, a team he helped survive relegation with 12 goals in 18 matches, and then joined SC Villa where he scored 20 goals in 38 appearances before crossing to KCCA where he enjoyed two stints scoring over 30 goals for the Kasasiro.
Wasswa is also one of the few players to have played for all VEK sides as well as URA but has had stints at Maroons and now Police FC.
Beats Geoffrey Sserunkuma to the slot because the Wakiso Giants forward has been in and out of the country longer than Wasswa in the past ten years.
Honourable Mentions
As already mentioned, Geoffrey Sserunkuma was seriously considered for one of the centre-forward roles as well as well as Daniel Sserunkuma and Derrick Nsibambi.
Musa Walangalira was next in line for a berth in the centre of defence, with Bernard Muwanga also unlucky to miss out.
Ismail Watenga, James Alitho and Nicholas Ssebwato were all mentioned in the battle for the No.1 jersey, while Ivan Ntege, Farouk Miya, Allan Kyambadde, Paul Mucureezi, Taddeo Lwanga and Robert Kimuli hopes were dashed by the fact that their rivals for a midfield berth played at the very highest level for the entire decade rather than just the first half.
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