Are Ugandan ‘senior footballers’ forced into early retirement?

Experienced players Erisa Ssekisambu and Yayo Lutimba as well as ex-international Mike Sserumaga are not happy with the way how old players are forced into early retirement.

Speaking in an extensive interaction with Uganda Fan TV, the players went on to reveal who forces them out and why.

Sserumaga was left bemused by the ‘young players’ that featured in the Vipers legends game against Fans at the inaugural Vipers Day on Saturday and wanted to know from his fellow players why they retired from playing the beautiful game.

“I looked at some players in the Legends team and for me, they are still young and should be playing,” Sserumaga said in amusement. “In the Arab world (refereeing to North Africa), those players have the right age to be at their peak but here they are retired,” he shockingly said.

The Legends team had among others Ayub Kisaliita, Godwin Buule, Farouk Miya, Luwagga Kizito, Joseph Mpande, Owen Kasule, Yudah Mugalu, Godfrey Walusimbi, Mike Mutyaba and Tony Odur among others.

“First, it is administrative led by coaches who force senior players out,” replied Ssekisambu. “For instance, I started playing football in 2013 but when they are referring to veterans, am one of them,” he added with a smile.

“Another thing, when you play 6-7 players in the league, you are deemed old and the coaches, especially Ugandans will force you out.”

The former Express, SC Villa and KCCA forward also hinted at responsibility.

“The older you grow, the more responsibilities you hold as players and with football now becoming a fulltime job, the club cant sustain your monetary demands and thus will force you out for a young player who is cheap, with no responsibility and thus cant demand for anything and when he reaches a certain age as well, the cycle continues,” Ssekisambu expounded.

Sserumaga, tasking Yayo also says that because old players are not easy to sell, the clubs and coaches prefer giving the young players opportunities even on the national team so they can be sold.

“That is one of the other reasons but they forget that the young players learn a lot from the old guard,” says Yayo.

“Imagine if Denis Onyango was still playing here, he would have been retired so long ago but at Sundowns, he is still an asset.

“Look at that Mamelodi Sundowns team, there are a lot of experienced players who are still valued but here, the senior players are trashed.”

And because of this Yayo says the national team, Uganda Cranes has been affected performance wise because senior players have been ignored.

“Look at the current national team now, it changes for every game because players are dropped at will. We used to know all national team players but currently, it is tough.”

The left back also believes one of the reasons for under performance of Ugandan clubs at continental level is lack of experienced players.

“Compare and contrast the players at Simba and Young Africans, our neighbours that have done well in Caf competitions, they have very experienced players.”

The trio prayed for SC Villa and Young Africans to meet in the Caf Champions League second preliminary round for Ugandans to see the difference.