What Blacks Power adventure presents to Kironde

He flattered with sports journalism for a protracted period and even covered the first round of the 2021-22 FUFA Big League season but Baron Kironde just might have finally granted his fragile heart its greatest craving, returning to active football.

The youngster signed for Blacks Power FC, a club in the country’s second-tier a fortnight ago with a lot of expectations lying on his already downtrodden shoulders. Despite this, he reiterates his readiness to take on the challenge.

Actually, the 24-year-old has been notoriously known for his extreme passion for local sport, that even during his time as a Journalism and Mass Communication scholar at YMCA Wandegeya, Kironde always found his way to the football pitch.

Playing for the institution in the University Football League however came in handy as he was more often than not considered an understudy for Raymond Walugembe (currently with Express FC).

In fact, Walugembe was preferred for his rather physical approach as opposed to the finesse and pace guaranteed by Kironde. No prizes for guessing the attributes that lured Blacks Power to set off on a quest geared towards finding the latter’s signature.

Your guess is the same as mine that this fascinating winger, but yet turbulent when it comes to where he wants to play on the pitch, was never going to turn down this magnificent opportunity of a lifetime.

Call it poetry but I personally view it as ironic that a man who only covered the Big League a few months ago, gets his own opportunity to continue serving there, but this time more actively as a player.

Actually, those close to this down-to-earth youngster narrate his return to professional football as a no-shock gesture, probably the most incendiary fact that was always meant to happen.

This to many, however, especially the cynics, had only appeared as only a figment of imagination.

However, those that enjoyed his work as a writer at Football256 have mixed reactions about the news, torn between whether to celebrate this milestone or mourn his temporary media departure.

Who is Kironde?

While it is now public knowledge that Kironde signed with Blacks Power and was unveiled a fortnight ago, which coincides with the club’s ascension to the top of the summit, the questions remain present about his career in football and how he will harness the opportunity.

Where was he playing all along before ambitiously deciding to go professional? How come we never knew him as a footballer even? Will he be a hit or miss?

There are a plethora of questions one could ask, especially for the fact that this came from almost nowhere, especially after his career as a sportswriter had suffered an agonizing plummet not so long ago.

The reality however is that Kironde has been playing football unceremoniously. He often played at YMCA but the climax of it all was his impressive showcase in a local tournament in Bugisu region. The Bamasaba Bikuuka clan tourney.

This was in its own respect a third edition, and the forward happily represented Halasi clan where he established himself as an integral piece to the team reaching the final, only to lose to 2-1 Wakoko and finish as runners-up.

His numbers were nonetheless impressive as he scored twice in the tournament and registered three assists to take his tally in terms of goal involvements to five. A tournament-best at that.

Kironde’s trademark was the pace he injected on the flanks which gave his side an edge, but also had fun leading the line when asked to do so. It was a thrill in his own narration.

It is, precisely, because of this reason that many believe that Halasi would have been champions if only he had not stayed on the bench for the final, only to come on for the last ten minutes.

With this performance that announced him to the local scene as a footballer (for those that followed the unpopularized tournament), getting a job at a professional club was more or less a no-brainer.

What awaits him at Blacks Power?

As highlighted earlier, Kironde was unveiled with six others; Aggrey Atandu and Fred Okot, both from Arua Hill, Godfrey Kalungi, and Ali Mukiibi from Mbarara City and Onduparaka respectively, while Joseph Opolot and Moses Odong both joined from Busoga United.

This can only mean one thing, competition is stiff, and hold your breath to the fact that Kironde is not oblivious to this untainted reality. He highlighted this slighted while seemingly bewildered with where to start explaining his euphoria.

“I know the challenge before me and I work hard on the training pitch every single day to deliver. I am however mostly excited about this opportunity and I do not in any way take it for granted,” he highlighted smiling from ear to ear.

“We have quite a number of exciting players in the team but best believe that I will do my very best to compete and stand to be counted.”

Kironde also needed no invitation to speak, even wax lyrical about their chances as a team to qualify to the topflight league, barely a month since he joined the team.

“In all honesty, I think our arrival coincided with a change in results for the team. We currently lead the table and rightfully so. I would honestly wish that we maintain the efforts and make it to the UPL,” he excitedly noted.

Now for the elephant in the room; “No, I am not leaving journalism for good, I am just going to play the game now and once I hang my boots, I will hold my pen again,” Kironde summed.

What remains certain is that Kironde is excited about his new adventure and will look to capitalize on any opportunity he is given as he acclimatizes with the changing trends of the game. About whether this will be a roller coaster ride remains to be seen.