UPL Season Review: Luyinda has work cut out to continue Wakiso Giants ascending trajectory

Wakiso Giants Football Club will be playing in the top tier league for the fourth successive season. For a team that announced their entry to Ugandan football with a lot of pomp, gaining promotion with relative ease given the mass recruitment made back then, a section of football enthusiasts was quick to think they would challenge the status quo at the top.

However, that has not been the case in the last three campaigns with inconsistency being the main challenge for the Purple Sharks. For instance, in their debut season, coach Kefa Kisala was sacked just 11 games into the job, and his successor Livingstone Mbabazi lasted just six games before Steven Bengo and Deo Sserwadda came on board as a quick fix until the end of the season.

And this has been the trend even for the coaches that came in later, including Douglas Bamweyana and Alex Gitta.

The appointment of John ‘Ayala’ Luyinda, therefore, comes with burning questions of whether he will be able to navigate the murky waters, avoid the club culture of parting ways with coaches when results do not come, and transform the team from mere participants to contenders.

There is no doubt about his ability as a coach given the fact he gives attention to detail in terms of applying tactics and the way he wants the team to play. Having lived in the shadow of Abdallah Mubiru for long, Wakiso Giants fans should be excited about having an expressive coach that will offer ‘good’ football.

Now that Luyinda will for the first time be at the frontline as a coach of the team in the top tier league, we wait to see whether he will be able to defy odds and perform well.

Wakiso Giants FC performance since gaining promotion

• 2019/20 – 10^th
• 2020/21 – 9^th
• 2021/22 – 8^th

Transfers

Ins

• Bashir Ssekagya
• Mikdad Ssenyonga
• Lincoln Mukisa Police
• Collins Onega
• Marvin Nyanzi
• Pascal Irasa
• Norman Ogik

Out

• Hassan Wasswa Dazo
• Edward Satulo
• Simon Namwanja
• Derrick Emukule
• Fahad Kawooya
• Pius Kaggwa
• Frank Ssenyondo
• Ivan Bogere
• Sam Ssenyonjo

Promoted

• Marvin Mukiibi
• Andrew Kalyango

Key Player: Ibrahim ‘Owen’ Kasule

Prediction: 8^th position

Opening 5 fixtures

• KCCA FC vs Wakiso Giants FC
• Wakiso Giants FC vs Vipers SC (Postponed)
• Maroons FC vs Wakiso Giants FC
• Wakiso Giants FC vs Blacks Power FC
• UPDF FC vs Wakiso Giants FC