The regular season of the 2021 Star Times FUFA Big League was concluded on Sunday 13th June.
By close of business on match day 14 fixtures, Tooro United (Rwenzori group) and unbeaten Arua Hill (Elgon group) were directly promoted to the Star Times Uganda Premier League.
Four other clubs will be engaged in a promotional play off to determine the third promoted side.
These are Nyamityobora, Terrazo and Tiles, Proline as well as Blacks Power.
Kawowo Sports’ David Isabirye looks at the clubs which parted ways with their head coaches through forced suspensions, sacking, resignations and sheer mutual termination of employment contracts.
A number of factors were at play for the decisions ranging from dismissal performances, failure to tame the dressing room and ill-management issues, among others
Mbale Heroes:
The Mbale based side employed three coaches in this very season and sadly got relegated.
First came in Stephen Pritchard who was hired in the off season alongside former club and SC Villa legend Bobic Odowa.
Before even the season commenced, Pritchard was shown the exit door and replaced by Odowa.
Odowa managed the club for four games before he was also shown the exit door.
In came Ali Hussein Kheri (now deceased) and Robert Mayanja as assistant.
Kheri fell sick and was admitted at Mbale Refereal Hospital missing the final game of the season against rivals Kataka that ended goal-less at the Mbale Municipal Stadium.
Sadly, Mbale Heroes was relegated and Kheri lost his life a few days later.
He was buried at the ancestral village in Tororo district on 19th June 2021.
Gaddafi:
The Soldier Boyz hired CAF “A” certified tactician Frank Ssebagala to work alongside Michael Ssebagala as the FUFA Big League season kicked off.
Michael was maintained as the assistant coach having witnessed the promotion of the club from the Eastern regional league.
When the two Ssebagala’s were suspended by the club for the famous one month duration, Hassan Zzungu came on board to handle the club.
The Gaddafi management hinted to the failure for the two Ssebagala’s to tame their dressing room, unconvincing results and internal bickering between the two personalities.
Fortunately, Gaddafi secured a play-off slot and will face Nyamityobora in the semi-final.
Maroons:
The Prisons funded club hired CAF “A” licensed coach Charles “Mbuzzi” Ayiekoh Lukula as head coach when they were still in the top flight league during the 2019-2020 season.
Ayiekoh came with a well-built back room staff that had Eric “Kawoowo” Ndifuna (assistant coach), Moses Oloya (goalkeeping coach) and Abubakar Tabula (trainer).
The abrupt ending of the season due to the Coronavirus pandemic automatically relegated Maroons to the second division.
Ayiekoh maintained the work although Oloya left for greener pastures at KCCA and he was replaced by former Uganda Cranes goalkeeper Sadick Wassa as goalkeeping trainer.
After a promising start, Maroons succumbed, losing the four matches on a row towards the end of the first round.
At the start of the second round, Maroons lost once again to Calvary before management pulled the trigger and terminated his contract.
Club legends Michael Ssenfuma and James Chemari were appointed on interim basis as head coach and assistant respectively.
Paidha Black Angels:
The Blacks recalled Allan Kabonge Kivewala as the first round ended.
Kabonge did not work out any miracle as they lost match against match.
Eventually, they were relegated to the third division by the end of the season.
Calvary:
Yumbe district based Calvary Football Club was one of the newly promoted sides in the FUFA Big League.
Their head coach Ahmed Borine Olima tendered in the resignation papers at the club which hosted their home matches in Arua city (AbaBet Green Light Stadium).
Olima had been in charge of the club since the regional league.
Reasons for Olima’s resignation were not made public as his assistant Moses Edema Jarul took over until the end of the season.
Calvary survived being relegated having defeated Gaddafi 3-2 on the final day of the regular season.
Kigezi Home Boyz:
Management of Kigezi Home Boyz mutually terminated their employment contract with Mark Twinamatisko.
The Kabale based club pointed to poor results and failure for Twinamatisko to unify the dressing room as the key aspects for the decision.
Twinamatisko left with assistant Lawrence Bakilanze.
Former trainer Denis Tusabe was appointed to steer the club for the remaining part of the season.
Kigezi Home Boyz was relegated to the third division on the last day of the season, after falling 1-0 to Tooro United at the Betway Mutesa II Wankulukuku Stadium.
Terrazo and Tiles:
The Mbarara based side brought on board Robert Ssekweyama for Michael Bukenya as the second round kicked off.
Ssekweyama signed as many as 7 new players but they were not good enough to save the club from relegation to the third division.
Terrazo and Tiles lost 2-0 to rivals Nyamityobora during the Mbarara derby on the last day of the season at the Kakyeka stadium in Mbarara city.
The element of compensation for their these coaches remains a worthy discussion for a rich column for another day.