Tonny Mawejje is arguably one of the best central midfielders Uganda has produced in the last two decades and his performances for the national team (Uganda Cranes) in the yesteryears cannot go unnoticed.
Despite failing to command a call on the national team since 2017, the 33-year old player is still focused on club football and recently returned to Uganda Police FC, signing a two-year deal.
Mawejje has played overseas since 2009, featuring for a number of clubs across different continents and he believes he has been able to do so because of being consistent in performance and adjusting to new situations.
While appearing on Sanyuka TV on Wednesday, Mawejje when posed with a question about why Ugandan players fails to make the cut abroad, he indicated majority fail because of the aforementioned two reasons.
‘As a professional, you have to prepare yourself to be at the top all times. In professional football, you are paid because you must deliver and give in 100%. It is like in every other profession where someone is paid to do a job,” he said.
“Secondly, the mind-set has to change. For instance, when I went to Iceland, the weather was very different from what we experience here in Uganda. There was a time while at URA FC, we were having a training session and it started raining, the coaches called off training but in Iceland, however cold it was, I had to go out and train. So for any Ugandan player who wants to become professional, the road is rough but you must carry on if you want to achieve.”
Asked why he chose to sign for Police FC, Mawejje stated that the club feels like home and he has a good relationship with the club chairman Asan Kasingye and the coach, Abdallah Mubiru.
“I believe Police FC gave me a good platform for the world to see my potential and we went ahead to win the CECAFA Club Championship in 2006 when I was just starting my career. So it feels like I’m coming back home. Besides, the club chairman has always been my friend while coach Mubiru was at KCCA FC when I joined the team from Masaka LC, so he knows me very well. When the opportunity was availed for me to play for Police FC, it was very easy for me to agree.”
Mawejje has been a free agent after his latest exploits at Kuwait based Al-Arabi Sports Club. He started his youth career at Masaka Local Council Football Club and was signed by Kampala Capital City Authority in 2004 before he left for Police in 2006.
In 2008, he was signed by Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) before departing the country for greener pastures in Iceland in ÍBV Vestmannaeyjar (2009–2013), scoring 10 goals in 106 games.
South African Golden Arrows had earlier acquired Mawejje on loan in 2012.
His other clubs included Haugesund (2014), Valur (on loan in 2014), Þróttur (2014-2016), Tirana (2017-2019) and lately Al-Arabi Sports Club In Kuwait.
Mawejje is capped 83 times for Uganda Cranes and has scored 8 goals. He played at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals held in Gabon, as Uganda returned to the continental show piece after 38 years.