From Soroti to Mbarara: Ibrahim Orit eventually comes of age

Most successful sportsmen, footballers in particular have rich tales of stories to boldly tell home.

Majority of whom, take their respective careers at the opportunity of other things to climb up the ladder of progress.

From countless hours of vigorous training, respect of specific diets and life styles, many of these sportsmen are at times well aware of the tasks in thy midst.

Mbarara City Football Club midfielder Ibrahim “Tiger” Orit’s humble journey from a pint sized boy to now an established footballer featuring in the Uganda Premier League is well traced.

Orit hails from Soroti town, about 320 km from Uganda’s capital city, Kampala.

The second born in the family of six was born to Abdul Orit and Amina Orit, apparently both deceased.

He vividly recounts the footballing journey thus far.

“I started to play football as a young boy. I was very small in size but knew how to use the ball well with good dribbles when I was at Aloet Primary School in Soroti” Orit recalls.

Parent’s demise:

Orit lost both his parents and this left him a disadvantaged position.

“My father and mother died when I was really young. There was not money to pay my school fees and unluckily had to drop out of school” he confesses.

Orit was registered by a fourth division club, Odudwi Football Club in 2013.

After a season, he joined Soroti Garage Football Club which sold him to Junior Eagles FC in 2015.

In 2016, he elevated to the North East Regional league, as he was licenced by Future Stars.

Break-through moment:

The defining moment in his career arrived in 2017 when he was scouted and signed by Mbarara City Football Club in the Uganda Premier League.

“Joining Mbarara City FC was a dream come true. One of my targets in life was to play well and be signed by a top flight club in Uganda. Now, I have dreams of playing in the world’s best leagues” Orit confesses.

Since 2017, Orit has been a diligent servant at the Ankole Lions making as many as 30 assists and 8 goals to his name tag.

National Team (Uganda Cranes) Duty:

In September 2019, Orit landed his first ever national team call up when he was summoned for the Uganda Cranes locally based team to play against a select team from the West Nile region in Adjumani.

On that day, the national team defeated West Nile 3-0 with Orit among the scorers on the evening.

“I felt good scoring in the national team jersey for the very first time I was summoned. I look forward scoring in many more matches when given the opportunity” Orit adds.

He was also part of the Championship of African Nations (CHAN) Uganda Cranes team that prepared for the qualifiers against Burundi but unfortunately never made the cut for the final squad.

At the start of year, he was summoned again for the 2020 CHAN bound team, with the final tournament postponed by CAF because of the Coronavirus pandemic.

With the current employment contract at Mbarara City done and dusted, Orit’s brand as a wide midfielder has lured quite a number of clubs in the Uganda Premier League.

Mbarara City is in the fore race to retain him with an enviable offer on the table by the club chairperson Hon. Mwine Mpaka.

Other clubs interested in his signature include Wakiso Giants, KCCA and champions Vipers.

Orit’s destiny surely lies in his hands.

Profile:

Full Names: Ibrahim Orit

Nick-name: Tiger

Date of Birth: 28^th July 1998

Place of Birth: Soroti Hospital

Parents: Abdul Orit and Amina Orit (Both Deceased)

Role Models: Emmanuel Okwi & Cristiano Ronaldo

Favorite Dish: Maize Flour & Small Fish (Mukene) with Baimi

Education: Aloet Primary School, Soroti (P1-P7)

Football Career: Odudwi FC (Fourth Division), Soroti Garage (Fourth Division), Junior Eagles (Third Division), Future Stars (North East Region), Mbarara City (Uganda Premier League – 2017 to 2020)

Strong Foot: Right

Key weapons: Ball control, passing, ball protection, dribbling and shooting